Into The Fire
by Veronica Sweetheart
Summary: Tifa spends a weekend getaway with Yuffie in Costa Del Sol, and an unexpected encounter with Reno turns into an equally unexpected love affair. **On-going. (RenoxTifa/ReTi)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of it's characters. No money is being made from this story. Et cetera et cetera...

This is going to be multi-chapter. Lots of smut to come.

Feedback is appreciated, but please be kind.

Enjoy =)

* * *

The late evening stars shimmered above as ocean waves crashed below.

Tifa Lockheart, newly single and not-quite-ready to mingle, gazed skyward as she leaned forward on the balcony of her charming suite at the Costa Del Sol Inn. She let out a soft sigh as she realized that she always seemed to gaze at the stars when she was lost in thought over One Cloud Strife.

Ever since they were children in Nibelheim, Tifa surmised that angst-y emotions plus Cloud equals hopeful (or was it hopeless?) stargazing.  
She just felt so infinitesimal when it came to Cloud - Small and helpless; A speck of dust in the 'Big Picture'.

"WHOA that shower head could blow a hole in the wall!" a perky female voice rang out from behind her. "The water pressure isn't nearly so aggressive in Wutai -That's just in-SANE!" A freshly showered and ever-boisterous Yuffie Kisaragi pulled Tifa out of her reverie. Tifa turned to see her towel clad ninja leaning her head from side to side, whacking her head with her palms for emphasis as she wrung the water from her ears.  
Tifa let out a giggle. Yuffie always had a comedic way of dragging her out of her moping.

"One of the perks of the luxury suite: peel-your-dead-skin-off shower jets," Tifa replied with a smile.  
"Yeah, or just _peel your skin off!_" Yuffie snorted.

"So," the young ninja began, changing the subject, "Where are we off to tonight?" Yuffie gathered some clothes from her suitcase and returned to the bathroom.

Tifa leaned back against the balcony, looking over her shoulder at the tropical scenery, lost in thought. Again. A lone palm tree covered with netted twinkle lights swayed gently outside of their suite. The last time she vacationed here was with Cloud, after they defeated Yazoo's gang. She and Cloud spent the entire time at either the beach or in bed. After all, that was the point of Costa del Sol vacations: relaxation and romance.

This time around, however, Tifa's traveling partner was neither relaxing nor romantic (not that Cloud was necessarily either of those things…)

The whole thing was Yuffie's idea. She won a Weekend getaway after an excessive amount of time spent in the Battle Arena at The Golden Saucer. It was advertised all over TV: A sixty second commercial of Dio challenging the toughest of the tough to "come on down and show him what you're made of! Grand Prize: 3 days, 3 nights stay in the newly-renovated luxury suite at the Costa del Sol Inn!"

Needless to say, Yuffie needed a vacation, so Yuffie cleaned house. She was pitted against a slew of monsters and madmen -Nothing a hero like lil' old Yuffie couldn't handle. Taking down monsters and madmen was her specialty (as well as snagging materia in the process. Duh, of course!) After Yuffie's flawless performance, Dio seriously considered putting a disclaimer in his next commercial excluding members of Avalanche, SOLDIER, The Turks, or any other members of Government from participating in his "giveaways".

Tifa decided that tonight she wanted to pursue activities that did not necessarily remind her of Cloud Strife and their time spent together in the ocean resort town. She would go out and have some much-needed fun with the spunky little ninja who was singing loudly to herself in the bathroom.

* * *

_It ended slowly._  
_First, he wouldn't call to check-in, and his trips stretched longer and longer. She would see him once, maybe twice a month? It wasn't good for her or the kids. He wasn't reliable. Not in that sense. She loved him dearly, but there came a day when she decided she needed to love herself more._  
_That precise day was two weeks prior, when she broke it off. Cloud had returned from a delivery and spent a good week at home, the longest he had been there in recent memory. The duration of his stay was spent in tedium fixing his bike and working on his weapons. Tifa woke up one morning that week, clear-headed and resolute._  
_"Cloud, I think it's time I moved on..."_  
_He looked up at her from his cereal, his eyes wide._  
_She tore her gaze away from him, "It's time that we both did. I'm not happy. I haven't been for quite some time. And I don't think you've been either. I know you feel some sort of... duty. To me, to the kids ...to her." She faltered._

_Cloud looked away. "Tifa," he began softly. He always spoke to her as though he was tip-toeing over a sleeping child, "I'm - I'm sorry I can't be who you need me to be. I haven't felt the same since," now HE faltered, "-since she died, and since I was controlled by Sephiroth. It's like, there's always going to be a part of him inside my head. Like a glitch that keeps me from functioning normally."_  
_Tifa listened intently._  
_"I'm always going to love you ... and Marlene, Barrett, Denzel, the gang..." He continued, "But I'm never going to be a husband or a father or someone who can be there the way you need me ...to be there..." he trailed._

_They exchanged a few more niceties and words of mutual respect and admiration. It was the easiest ending the both of them could have hoped for._

_Tifa stood, leaned over, and kissed Cloud on the forehead. She cleared their bowls and dropped them in the sink._

_The next morning he was gone._

_Again._

* * *

"I think we should hit up the beach for the concert tonight! There's supposed to be fireworks afterwards—OH! Then we can go bar-hopping! We need to wrangle in some cute guys!" Yuffie's excited voice emanated from the bathroom.  
Tifa contemplated their options as she heard a blow dryer turn on.

With another sigh, she pushed herself off the balcony and walked into the bedroom. She already showered upon their arrival that afternoon, and she had been lounging around in her robe ever since. Now: What to wear? Something fun and flirty -even though she wasn't exactly in the mood for romance. Tonight, she'd go just with the flow. No expectations, no desperation. Just relaxation.  
She settled on a cream-colored halter top that partially exposed her mid-section, a dark denim miniskirt, and strappy black sandals. She jazzed up her look a bit with some gold hoop earrings, gold bangle bracelets, and a partial upswept hairdo with a seashell barrette -courtesy of the Costa del Sol boardwalk market. Tifa's hairdo exposed the right side of her neck, giving her a sophisticated look. She applied some mascara, lipbgloss, and spritzed some vanilla musk parfum. "Good enough," she said aloud as she gave herself a once-over in the mirror.

"Good GAWD!" she heard Yuffie's voice muffled behind her. Tifa turned to a wide-eyed ninja appraising her look as she brushed her teeth. Yuffie popped the brush out of her mouth, "Looks like I gotta step up my game tonight with Bombshell Lockheart around!" sputtered some toothpaste.

Tifa winked at her, flattered by her words. "I guess I still got it, huh?"

"GOT IT?!" Yuffie replied. "Girl, how am I supposed to catch anyone's eye with YOU around? I'm _doomed_!" she pouted.  
Tifa laughed, "Oh, stop! You're making me blush. Now, let's get to work on your outfit. We're gonna be the bombshell and the sexy pixie when I'M through with you!"

The girls laughed together.

Tifa was relieved to be lighthearted again.

* * *

After another half-hour of primping, the girls found themselves wound arm in arm, traipsing down the cobblestone street together. The sights, scents, and sounds of the resort town swirled around them. It was nearing 9pm and all of the vacationers began to exit their villas to experience the seaside nightlife.  
Yuffie settled on a two-piece oriental outfit composed of a black tube top and knee-length red skirt with a slit up the side. Both pieces were covered with ornamental gold dragons. Very Wutai, very sexy. Tifa lent Yuffie a pair of black high-heeled sandals, as well as a crash-course in how to walk in said sandals. Literally. Because Yuffie crashed into the wall after she took one step. She was holding onto Tifa now for balance, as well as companionship- as the pair walked carefully down the bumpy cobblestone road.

"I am SO not a lady" Yuffie whined.  
"Me neither!" Tifa laughed. "I'm a fighter, and you're a ninja. We're just pretending to be ladies for tonight...!" she winked.  
They both laughed.  
It felt so good to laugh.  
Tifa rarely laughed much these days.  
She got so caught up in "emotional tiptoeing" around Cloud, her parenting duties, running the bar, running from her emotions...

"There's a swing band playing at the pier tonight. Wanna head down to the beach?" Yuffie asked.  
"I'm game." Tifa replied with a light shrug.

They rounded the corner and made their way down the boardwalk. A few whistles were heard in the distance from some ogling fisherman. The girls took it as flattery, giggled, and kept on going -removing their sandals as they made their way down the ocean steps to the musical sounds and soft lanterns on the beach.

It was going to be a fun night.

* * *

Towards the end of the fireworks display, the girls made their way back to town. Their feet were worn from swing-dancing together in the sand, but it was nothing they both couldn't handle. They were two of the world's greatest warriors, after all. Thankfully they weren't recognized in their dolled-up states, so they didn't have anyone hounding them with questions or asking for autographs.

"So, who wants to do shots?" Yuffie beamed, raising Tifa's arm for her.  
Tifa smiled, snatching her arm back, "Shots? It's so early!"  
"Oh c'mooooon I wanna party. Let's get started! It's only 10pm. The bar is half price shots and well-mixers until 11. And that group of cute guys from the concert headed in that direction..." Yuffie slyly smirked, eyebrows wiggling.  
"_Only_ 10pm?!" Tifa replied, pulling back to look Yuffie up in down in a sassy fashion.  
"Oh don't sound so OLD, Tifa!" Yuffie teased, lightly slapping Tifa's arm.  
"Oh alright," she gave in. She reasoned that it would be nice to be the _tend-ee_ instead of the _tend-er_ for once.

"Maybe I can steal some of their drink specialties and put my own twist on them," Tifa quipped, tapping her index finger on her chin for emphasis.  
Yuffie beamed, "I bet you could make 'em better -You've got mad mixing skills!"  
"OR," Tifa continued, "I can charm the Sweet Salted Starfish's secret ingredient from the owner." This time it was Tifa's eyebrows that wiggled as she did a little shoulder shimmy for sultry emphasis.  
The starfish was the town Bar's signature drink, a favorite among locals and tourists alike.  
"Let's do it!" Yuffie concurred.

* * *

An hour, two Creamsicle shots, and one Mideel Iced Tea later, Tifa had a good buzz going. It was nearing 11pm and the bar was positively packed. Tifa she figured it was good that she and Yuffie arrived early. They hurriedly grabbed seats at the bar and they didn't budge for the next hour. She felt the urge to use the restroom, but she didn't act on it for fear of losing her seat.  
Yuffie, on the other hand, took full advantage of happy hour, downing 3 beers and 3 Creamsicle shots, 2 of which were bought for her by a cute young suitor from the beach with dark hair, tanned skin, and a bright smile. Tifa let them be, ignoring unwanted come-ons by men both young and old. She focused her attention on the skill of the bartender; He was an older man with salt and pepper hair, his wrinkled skin looked worn by the summer sun. He had kind eyes, and he took each patrons order with a smile and a nod. His bar-back was a young woman in a bikini, presumably his daughter, based on their respectful interactions.

Tifa smiled as she thought of Marlene: Her little bar-back. She giggled to herself as she pictured Marlene all grown up, working in the bar, and Tifa herself as a kindly old woman, still serving the faithful patrons of 7th Heaven.

::Clink::

She was snapped out of her reverie by a shot glass placed upside down on the bar in front of her. She looked up to see the barmaid smiling at her, "Free drink!" the barmaid beamed.  
"Oh?" Tifa said, "Did I win a prize?" Only teasing, she assumed one of the potential suitors she brushed off earlier was now trying to win her over  
"You sure did! Compliments of the gentleman at the end of the bar!" she smiled.

_Yep._

Tifa didn't even look in that direction. She didn't want whoever may have bought her the drink to get the wrong idea. She just wasn't interested. She was perfectly content watching the old bartender in action in her attempt to pick up some tips and tricks on the sly.

"What'll it be?" the young barmaid asked.  
"How about a Flaming Cosmo Candle?" Tifa challenged. She wanted to see just how good this bartender was.  
"Coming right up!" she replied with a big smile.  
That was a little too confident for Tifa's liking. Nevertheless, she waited as her concoction was prepared.

Yuffie spun around on her bar stool to see what was going on with her partner in crime.  
"Ooooh do you have an admirer?" she tickled Tifa's ribs, referring to the shot glass on the bar before her.  
"Oh please" Tifa replied, swatting her hand away. "It's probably just some lech. I didn't even ask. I just ordered a shot."  
The young man currently wooing Yuffie put his arm around both girls shoulders and yelled to the barmaid, "Two more of whatever she's having!" as he jabbed his thumb in Tifa's face.

The bar maid arrived shortly afterwards with a small tray of flaming red shots, setting them down carefully, one-by-one.

"Ohmi-GAWD Is that RENO?!" Yuffie abruptly yelled in Tifa's ear, causing her to wince as she lifted her shot.  
Tifa's eyes lifted above the flame atop the shot glass to make out a wavy image of the infamous red-haired Turk, watching her intently from the end of the bar, a good seven seats away from her. He looked almost demonic from beyond the flame, his sinful good looks amplified in the warm, ambient bar light. Tifa was stunned as he lifted his own glass to 'Cheers' with her. Her shock was interrupted by Yuffie's suitor bellowing in her ear, "One, two, ...THREE!" Prompting Tifa to blow out the flame.

"Kempai!" They sang in unison, and downed the shots. It burned sweet cinnamon down her throat. She felt light-headed and coughed a little. Good stuff! Better than she could ever make. This bartender was the real deal.

She looked up again to see Reno in the same position, giving her a half smirk. "Yo." he mouthed to her. The crowd around them seemingly disappeared as they exchanged glances.  
"Hi," she mouthed back shyly, abruptly putting her head down and smiling bashfully. She wasn't sure why she was so shy now. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the charged atmosphere, maybe it was the fact that she was now truly single and she couldn't hide from handsome men anymore -She could no longer hide behind the false 'happy' relationship that she carried on with Cloud for way too long.

* * *

_The last time she encountered Reno and his rag-tag gang of Turks was one night in 7th Heaven, nearly two months prior. They rowdily stomped into the bar 20 minutes before last call, and stayed way past the average bar-patron's welcome. Tifa couldn't bring herself to kick them out, though. After everything they'd been through, they settled upon a mutual respect -and maybe even admiration- for one another. Tifa never charged them for their drinks, yet they always left a hefty tip; MORE than enough to cover their expensive drinking habits._

_Tifa caught Reno eying her up, which was nothing out of character for the fiery Turk, as she bent over the small table to serve their drinks. A game of poker had started and Reno's feet were propped up on the table. She appraised the group: Elena was deep in thought, contemplating her dealt hand. 'Don't burst a brain vessel, Blondie' Tifa thought to herself snidely. Tseng lit up a cigar. He held the winning hand, she noted as she set down his Dirty Martini. Rude was stone-faced as usual, even though his odds weren't favorable, AND he had the most amount of Gil wagered on the table. 'Good bluffer, like always,' Tifa noted thoughtfully. Rude was always kind to her, but she just wasn't interested. She loved Cloud and that was that. (Right? ...right?)_

_"Feet off the table, Turk," she quipped as she set Reno's beer and shot of vodka before him, looking him dead in the eye to get a handle on his current state of inebriation. Never breaking eye contact, Reno deliberately removed one foot, and then the other, stomping each boot on the floor for emphasis. He sat up straight, exaggerating good posture as he took a drag of his cigarette. "Any other requests, Beautiful?" he said, grabbing her hand and sniffing her wrist in a crude fashion. He let out a moan followed by a comedic growl. Tseng laughed out loud at Reno's action, which was highly uncharacteristic for the Leader of The Turks –That is, of course, unless he had more than a few too many in his system. Like now. Elena rolled her eyes as she slouched forward, folding her deck. She leaned back in her chair once again to sip on her fruity cocktail. Tifa could practically feel Rude's jealous eyes shooting daggers at Reno. Even with those signature shades, Rude gave himself away._

_Tifa snatched her hand back and bopped Reno on the head with her tray. 'Behave,' she smirked at him._

_'I don't know the meaning of the word, Gorgeous," he grinned, giving her a wink._

_With that, she sauntered back to the bar to begin breaking down for the night. Reno just shook his head and returned to the matter at hand: Cheating Tseng and clearing out the lot of them._

* * *

Reno was still Reno: tall, cocky, dangerous, good-humored with a wicked smile and gorgeous eyes. Tifa's once-upon-a-time enemy who could charm the skirt off of any girl -motioned his head to her in an upward nod, silently telling her to come over and meet him.

Almost suddenly, as if she'd been burned, she caught herself.

_Ohhhhh NO._  
_No-no-nonono._

She wasn't going to fall for this. Her expression suddenly changed from bashful to stark realization: She couldn't trust herself.  
Not with a wild card like Reno Tarshil around to get her all flustered! She sobered up instantly. She had to get OUT.

"Yuff, you have your PHS, right?" She asked in a hurry.  
"Yeah, why?" Yuffie asked, puzzled.  
"I'm going to the restroom but its super packed in here -In case we get separated. Just call me if you can't find me or if I don't make it back to the bar before last call."

"O...k" Yuffie said as she watched Tifa dart off through the crowd. "What was that about?" She wondered. She looked back to wave at Reno, but he was gone, too. Yuffie didn't seem to care, shrugging her shoulders as she returned her attention to the young man buying her shots.

"I hope you can keep up with me!" She grinned.

* * *

Tifa ducked and weaved through the crowd, desperate to run from one wily Turk and his womanizing ways. She anticipated he would follow her; Reno didn't like being ignored. And why in Hades did she have to get all bashful and cute like that? Now he was definitely going to be relentless in finding her. He had made it known quite frequently in the past just how attracted he was to her. When they fought, he was nearly sadistic. They always say boys pick on the girls they like. Judging from how many times he chose to torture her in particular with his Mag Rod, Reno definitely liked Tifa.

She had to get lost quick.  
She opted to head for the bathroom and plan her escape from there.

She caught a glimpse of Reno not far behind -in hot pursuit, weaving through the crowd as she ducked into the restroom.

The ladies room, of course, was packed with women waiting for stalls, re-applying makeup, adjusting bra straps, and gossiping about love interests. Tifa surveyed the area. As luck would have it, there was a window on the far end of the restroom past the row of sinks.

"Excuse me ladies," she said sweetly as she hurried by them and climbed out the window.  
She heard he shocked comments from the women inside as she landed gracefully in a back alley. Quietly, she darted back toward the Main Street, hoping to blend in with the crowd. With any more luck she would be back to the suite before Reno realized she wasn't coming out of that restroom.

But of course she couldn't be so lucky.

Just as Tifa stepped out into the cobblestone street -which was brightly lit by food and souvenir vendors, she caught the eye of one hot-headed Turk who had stepped outside for a cigarette. He was genuinely surprised when he saw her. Tifa's eyes went wide and before she knew what she was doing, she ran.

"Hey!" he yelled, crushing his cigarette beneath his boot as he gave chase. "Tifa! Wait!" he yelled after her, "What gives?"  
Now she ran even faster, her ebony hair trailing behind her. She was exhilarated. To her horror, she LIKED that Reno was chasing her. Her brain and emotions were all chaotic. It had to be the alcohol…  
As she neared the inn, she pulled her keys from her purse. She just had to bound up some stairs and unlock the door and then she could hide from Reno and the world. She could just snuggle under her blankets forever -or until Monday morning, at the very least.

But she wasn't quick enough. He darted out in front of her from an alleyway, as she crashed into his chest with an "Oof!"  
"Hey-hey," he grabbed her by the shoulders, "What's the hurry, Sweetness?" He said in that smooth voice of his, steadying her.

Damn him! -he wasn't even out of breath after all that running!

"An old friend buys you a drink to say 'Hello' to you and you RUN? That's not very nice," he frowned.

Tifa stared up at him, wide-eyed and speechless. "_Aaand_ you left the little ninja all by her lonesome back at the bar," he chided. "What's the matter?" His eyes softened and he seemed somewhat concerned now.

"I'm tired, Reno." She huffed, taking a step back.  
"Well I'm not." He said, wrapping a friendly arm around her shoulders. _Damn_ he smelled good. Like sweet tobacco and expensive cologne.

"And where the heck is Spike?" He asked casually.  
Her silence threw him off.

"...He's not here," she finally replied, eyes cast downward.

"Oh?" was all he said.

She remained silent, now looking towards the shore.

He understood. No more needed to be said on the matter.

"Well, Lockhart, you're lookin' mighty fine tonight. It's a shame for you to go to bed so early, and I need some company. Rude had the same idea as you did -went back to the room over an hour ago. I couldn't convince him to come out and play." Reno lit up another cigarette and took a drag, adjusting the ever-present goggles atop his forehead. "I thought my night was a dud until I saw this knockout from across the bar. And wouldn't you know it? She RAN from me! Like a _stark raving lunatic_! Like I grew _three heads_ and she couldn't get away fast enough. I tell ya..." He trailed off.

That prompted a soft giggle from Tifa as she elbowed his chest lightly.  
"I'm sorry," she began, "I just..."  
"It's all good," he cut her off. "Say no more. Just, please come back to the bar with me so I can retain SOME dignity. I only have so much left these days..." He scratched the back of his head, and then he put his hands in his pockets.

Was Reno being shy? It had to be her imagination. But still, he always put on a show in front of his companions. She liked this softer side of him.  
_Damn, he's good-looking_, she thought. _And charming, like always. Damn it all..._

"Ok." She smiled softly in reply. "But I'm NOT a stark-raving lunatic."

"Whatever you say, Doll," he winked as he extended his elbow to her.

She gave in and gave him a chance. They walked back to the bar, arm-in -arm, chit chatting like old frenemies do.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Square Enix, and definitely not me. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and no money is being made on my behalf.

**WARNING:** Adult themes and strong and language in this chapter. If you are offended by this, please turn back now. Otherwise - enjoy!

Feedback is much appreciated, but please be kind. I'm an avid lemon reader -but this is my first official posting of my own fanfiction. **EVER.**

I figured Reno and Tifa are just too sexy NOT to get together. Amirite?!

I'm also writing this based on the FFVII Game and Advent Children Movie. I have not played any of the other FFVII games, so I have a limited understanding of the expanded universe. I apologize if there are timeline inaccuracies, etc.

_On with the show..._

* * *

"So what did you and Reno talk about all night all comfy cozy in the corner, _hmmmmm_?" Yuffie prodded, pointing her fork full of pancakes at Tifa, swirling it in the air before popping them in her mouth.

Tifa smiled to herself as she sipped her morning coffee.

The two girls enjoyed a lovely breakfast on the balcony a la room service. The morning salt air surrounded them with the sound of surf and seagulls. The sun shone brightly as the day began to really heat up.

"Ohh this and that_..._" Tifa replied impishly.

"Oh PUH-leez!" Yuffie scoffed with her mouth full, washing down her pancakes with some berry juice. "You were practically _on his lap_! Did he kiss you?"

Tifa set down her mug, tapping her nails lightly along the side of it, creating a light tinkling noise.

"Once," she finally replied, "But I only let him get the a little taste. I'm not THAT easy."

Tifa recanted to Yuffie that once the bartender rang last call, Reno helped her stand up straight. In a not-so-Reno, gentlemanly fashion- he let her wear his suit coat to keep warm as they walked back to the suite. Tifa had a pretty strong buzz from all of the mixed drinks, and when he tried to kiss her goodnight, she -oh Shiva! -she nearly LET him. She turned her head slightly and he got the corner of her mouth instead.

And with that they said goodnight.

"So are you gonna see him again tonight?" Yuffie prodded further.

"I don't know," the older girl replied. "We didn't make any plans. All I know is that he and Rude are in town until Sunday vacationing just like us -_So they say._ Those two are always up to no good. We'll see..."

As breakfast went on they discussed Yuffie's companion from the night before and how he didn't know how to dance but, _boy, did he know how to kiss..._ Tifa sliced her omelet as she listened to Yuffie dish out the details. It was nice to be, well, normal_._ No fighting monsters, no battling megalomaniacs, no standoffs with Shinra and The Turks. In fact, to Tifa's pleasant surprise, she was even beginning to warm up to one of them. What a long way they'd all come from the calamities and battles and even the lesser squabbles of the past 5 years.

Tifa shivered as she remembered the night before. At one point Reno leaned in and gently nibbled her ear. She was a bit hazy from her second Mideel Iced Tea and at that point she could have let Reno get away with much more. He smelled delicious: like cologne and smoke and something primal. It was so long since she was intimate with... anyone, really. The last time she had sex was in this very town, with Cloud in his private Villa -and it wasn't anything to write home about. Sex with Cloud was choreographed and almost painful -Not physically, but dynamically and emotionally. Cloud, true to his name, was always up in the clouds somewhere. He was always just beyond her reach even when he was inside of her ...! Tifa couldn't recall a single moment that Cloud had ever looked her in the eyes during sex. Looking back on it, she could kick herself for giving everything to someone who couldn't even _see_ her.

"Seriously girl those things are CRIMINAL," Yuffie snapped her back to attention, referring of course to Tifa's ample chest in a bikini top. "You're gonna make those guys playing volleyball over there lose their shit if you don't cover up!"

"That's THEIR problem," Tifa giggled as she gingerly laid down her towel and proceeded to soak up some rays.

The rest of the afternoon was spent sunbathing and swimming in the ocean. They were just two girls without a care in the world for once in a long, long time.

* * *

Later that afternoon Tifa found herself being set up on a double date.

"He's really cute, Tifa! He thought you were GORGEOUS when he saw you sitting at the bar last night, but he was too afraid to come up to you when he saw you blowing guys off left and right," Yuffie said as she applied some lip gloss in the mirror.

Tifa buried her face in a pillow on the couch and groaned. She didn't want to be stuck with some stranger all night. Not to mention that she hadn't heard from Reno at all. He had her number -not that she expected to hear from him. That wasn't exactly his style. _But still... _

"His name is Caleb. He's Dalton's best friend since childhood. They're both on Naval leave from Junon and they..." Tifa tuned her out at that point. She had enough of military men. She also ascertained that Dalton was the "great kisser" who was all over Yuffie the night before, buying them both shots and sucking on Yuffie's neck. Yuffie hadn't called him by name until that moment, presumably to try to give off the vibe that she wasn't beyond excited about meeting a cute guy. Tifa knew better.

Oh well, if she got a free dinner out of the deal she supposed she could suffer for an hour or two. Hopefully she could shake her blind date after dinner and make her way to the bar or dance club. Alone. And maybe there she would run into Reno again. And maybe this time she wouldn't run from him.

After a quick phone call to check-in with Marlene and Denzel who were both staying with Cid and Shera in Rocket Town for the weekend, Tifa made her way to the shower. She shaved diligently in the hopes that …well, what every woman hopes for when she makes painstaking shaving and coiffing efforts. For her dinner outfit she chose a sexy, strappy little black dress that hugged her in _all _the right places. It laced up in the back, partially exposing the skin of her back and shoulders. The hem of the skirt rested at the top of her thighs. She opted for red lace panties because, hey, she could dream, right? She wore her signature dangling earrings with a long pendant necklace to match. She swept her hair up in a similar style as the night before, holding it in place with a crimson red tropical passion flower. She spritzed herself with some more vanilla parfum (remembering that Reno said he liked it on her).

As she gathered her dinner clutch and pulled on her black pumps, she heard Yuffie nearly choke, "Come ON, Tifa! _Again?!_" How do I compete?" she pouted.

"I didn't know we were competing, Yuff," she replied, sliding on her heels. "And what kind of competition is it when you have a real date and I have someone I never met? At least you snagged somebody," Tifa laughed. "And besides, you look gorgeous," she winked.

She was telling the truth: Yuffie donned a dark purple cocktail dress with red pumps and some contemporary Wutaian Jewelry. Her hair was styled in a cute bob and adorned with 3 sparkling hair pins that Tifa helped her pick out at the market. Tifa bought a few of the same hair pins to bring back as souvenirs for Marlene.

"Hurry up, or we're gonna be late!" Tifa yelled as she swung open the villa door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Yuffie huffed as she slipped on her other shoe and followed Tifa out the door.

* * *

The two girls strolled arm-in-arm once again up to the new restaurant known as 'The Big Chill'. A large crowd of people waiting to be seated had gathered outside.

"He hasn't called or texted," Yuffie stated worriedly. "I guess I can check with the hostess. Maybe he got us a table already. Wait here." Yuffie walked inside as Tifa stood in the crowd of people who didn't have dinner reservations.

Yuffie returned with a worried look, "They don't have a reservation under his name. I think we got stood up…"

"Yuffie," Tifa started cautiously, "when did you make these plans with him?"

"Last night!" she replied, almost defensively. "He said he wanted to go out to dinner tonight and that he wanted to take me here and that he wanted to show me his yacht and..." Yuffie realized her error as she spoke.

"How much did he have to drink?" Tifa gently prodded.

"A lot," Yuffie whispered. "No wonder I'm single," she hung her head in utter defeat.

Tifa had to think quick to run damage control, "Hey! Don't worry about it. Let's just put our names down and wait for a table. If they show, cool, if not, whatever. We'll just go out and find some new guys to have fun with, OK?"

She was extra-cheerful about her solution in the hopes that Yuffie wouldn't drown herself in the ocean from rejection and shame. The people of Wutai were a bit too serious when it came to that kind of stuff... Tifa couldn't have her traveling companion down in the dumps -otherwise they'd both be up shit's creek with a miserable, wasted vacation to boot.

Yuffie looked at Tifa who had gently put her hand on her shoulder. "OK deal!" she smiled up at the older girl.

Well that was a quick turn-around!

The girls put their name in for a table and decided to wait at the bar until they could be properly seated.

"We can check out some of the specialty drinks they have here, too…" Tifa trailed off as she caught something alluring out of the corner of her eye. A shock of red hair was seated in a corner booth. She turned her head to glimpse Reno seated awfully close to a busty blonde beach bunny, across from Rude -who had his arm around a woman who held a bit of a resemblance to Tifa. This didn't surprise her in the least bit; Rude always had a thing for her, and therefore he had a thing for girls who looked like her: Long brown hair, dark eyes, large ...assets_. _What did surprise her, however, was seeing Reno with another girl.

Wait-Why did that surprise her? And frankly, why did it bother her? She didn't have any right to be bothered.

But _come on! _Stood up by a blind date (if there ever even WAS a date in the first place), and now Reno with another girl? What came next? _Cloud and some girl who resembled Aeris waltzing in the door_? Tifa was silently fuming and Yuffie picked up on it.

"What's wrong?" Yuffie turned and looked at her, sensing her distress. Tifa responded by looking sharply in the direction of the Turks and their dates.

Yuffie's eyes trailed to the corner booth,"Oh." was all she said, with a hint of dread behind her words. "Come on girl, let's get some strong drinks while we wait, then."

That sounded like and EXCELLENT idea to Tifa. A few minutes passed and she downed her Pina Colada quickly.

"You wanna talk about it?" Yuffie asked.

"Nope," Tifa replied, motioning for the middle-aged female bartender to give her a refill.

"They still haven't noticed us," Yuffie pointed out. "We can leave now before it gets really awkward."

"Hold on a minute," Tifa said. She motioned for the bartender one more time. "Excuse me," she began, "Could you please deliver a shot to the red headed gentleman in the corner? My compliments," she smiled sweetly.

"Of course," the bartender replied. "What would you like me to send over?"

"A filthy dick," Tifa deadpanned.

Yuffie snorted, "NO!" covering her mouth before a bigger laugh came out.

"And a shot of whiskey for me, please," Tifa added. She looked Yuffie dead in the eye, "After that we can leave. I lost my appetite anyway. Maybe we should just head over to the dance club, yeah?"

"That sounds like a plan to me!" Yuffie giggled as she sipped her daiquiri through a straw, ready for the show to start.

The female bartender giggled at the girls, "I like your style. That guy seems like he has it coming…"

_He sure does_, Tifa thought. "Look casual," she whispered to Yuffie as a waitress made her way over to the table with the aptly-named shot. Reno looked up at the waitress with a grin. Tifa flipped her hair over her shoulder and held her head high. She readied the shot of whiskey that was poured for her. She and Yuffie watched expectantly as the waitress spoke to Reno and nodded in their direction. The recognition donned on Reno's face as he looked over at the pair of girls. She mimicked his motion from the night prior and raised her shot glass to him. He smirked and followed suit. "Kampei" she whispered, and they downed their shots simultaneously.

Not even bothering to look at the foursome after that, Tifa abrubtly stood from her bar stool, straightened her dress, dropped some gil on the bar, grabbed her clutch, said: "C'mon Yuff, let's fly!" -and both girls promptly exited the restaurant.

"OhmiGAWD that was CLASSIC, Tifa! Did you SEE the dirty looks that blondie was giving you? And Rude practically spit out his drink when he realized it was you! Ma-AN has he got it _BAD for you still!_ They BOTH do!" Yuffie chased after her. "You. Are. Amaze-Balls!"

Yuffie then stopped in her tracks, eyes wide, "Teach me your ways…"

Tifa laughed. She WAS proud of herself. "I've never done anything like that before, Yuff!" It was the truth. She had never been so bold. Something about Reno just brought that out in her. She was bothered by his sultry-looking date, she could admit that much to herself, but what bothered her more was that she was letting playboy Reno's womanizing ways get to her, too.

* * *

It was nearing midnight in the dance club and Tifa had lost all track of time. She and Yuffie danced with multiple partners, danced in a circle of girls their age, danced to dumb line-dance songs, and they even got wrangled into a conga line at one point.

Having lost Yuffie to a new dance partner, Tifa decided to take a breather to order a bottle of water from the bar. She handed the bartender her gil and turned back towards the dance floor. She leaned forward against a railing to scan the crowd. She zeroed-in on Yuffie dancing nose-to-nose with a handsome young man.

_'See, Yuff? No worries. They come and they go,'_ she thought to herself. Tifa wanted Yuffie to enjoy her youth before the reality of adulthood and the fact that she was next in line for the throne of Wutai -and all of the responsibilities that came with it, came crashing down upon her. Yuffie could handle it, though. She had already been through so much, and she was resolute in the restoration of Wutai to its former glory. For now though, she deserved to be a young vacationer without a care in the world.

Tifa took a sip of her water, but her body went still as she felt a large hand on the small of her back. The smell of cigarette smoke and cologne overwhelmed her senses as she realized what was happening. Reno was now beside her, his hand pressed firmly against her lower back. He took a drag of his cigarette and leaned in to whisper in her hair, "Nice moves out there," he drawled.

Her insides sparked aflame. _Not good_, she thought. She stole a glance up at him as he gave her his signature lopsided grin.

"Where's your date?" Tifa asked, looking back toward the dance floor, refusing to look at him.

Ignoring her question, he leaned down and spoke again: He had to get in close to be heard over the music, "How 'bout you let me give you a whirl out there," he offered as he stroked his fingertips up and down her shoulder causing gooseflesh to form.

_'SO not good,_' she thought.

He took her silence as approval. Before she knew what was happening, Reno was ushered her to the dance floor.

When did her limbs stop working? How did her get her out there so easily? Everything was like a blurry, but somehow amplified dream.

The music and bass pumped, and the lights were low.

They were lost in the dimly-lit sea of bodies bumping and grinding to the music. Reno came up to her from behind, rubbing his palms on her hips, seductively swaying her to the music. Her body obliged. It felt SO GOOD to be touched in that way. His nearness made her shiver. His touch was electric.

Tifa half-consciously leaned into his touch, rubbing her backside against him.

Reno leaned his face into her neck and shoulder. "Tease," he hissed as he nipped her neck. She let a gasp escape her mouth and hoped he hadn't heard it over the music.

He whirled her around so that she was facing him. She looked up at him for the briefest moment, and he captured her mouth with his own before she could turn away in feeble protest.

For Tifa, kissing Reno was like the day she spent in the ocean; If she went too far she would get swept away by the undertow. His touch just felt _so good, so wrong, but at the same time, so right._ So she went ahead and let herself get swept under by the strong, impeding current of this wild man who was kissing her with the force of a hurricane. They kissed each other hungrily, his hands roaming her body as she held on for dear life.

Almost aggressively, Reno used his hands to grind her hips into his own. He broke the kiss to growl into her ear, "You're really something, Babydoll. I always knew you'd come around to me."

Boy, was he smug.

Tifa gasped at his unrelenting nearness. He was patronizing her, but at this point she didn't even care. Her insides were molten lava, her most sensitive parts were screaming for attention. Reno seemed more than willing to give her that _and more._

"Just say the words," Reno licked her neck, hissing in her ear. "Tifa," he strained, "I know what_ I_ want. Tell me what _you _want."

She looked into his eyes, speechless.

"Just say it," he coaxed, gently rubbing his thumb over her pulse point, looking down upon her with heavy eyelids.

She opened her mouth slightly but no sound came out.

"Just tell me you want me to fuck you."

Tifa's knees buckled and she gasped loudly. This time he had definitely heard it. This time she was certain.

Reno held her against him possessively now, straining through gritted teeth, "I'll fuck you better than that spikey-headed little prick ever could. I'll set your whole world on fire -I'll make you _scream._"

After momentary deliberation, Tifa looked him dead in the eye. -How long had she been holding her breath?

"Reno," she breathed out, "Yes."

She didn't have to tell him twice! He grabbed her by the hip and ushered her to the nearest exit.

* * *

They practically sprinted back to the suite, panting heavily as they groped one another, stealing passionate kisses that made passers-by blush and turn away. She fumbled with the key as he held her from behind, kissing and nipping at her neck.

They all but _fell_ into the living area. Reno pulled her into yet another primal kiss. "Which room is yours?" he demanded. She shakily motioned to the bedroom on the left. He backed her into her bedroom and slammed the door, making sure it was good and locked. He then took her by the shoulders and spun her around, forcing her to look in the full length dressing mirror while pressing her body into his tall frame. Standing behind her now, cupping the underside of her breasts through the silky fabric, he motioned for her to look in the mirror.

"We look good together babe," he whispered in her ear. Tifa watched in awe as he painstakingly slipped her straps down her shoulders to expose her exquisite breasts. She motioned to cover them, but he held her wrists firmly in place. She was too weak with wanton need to protest. He blew on her neck as he began to knead her most prominent attributes. Reno placed a finger in her mouth and she obligingly sucked on it.

"That's my girl," he said quietly.

Tifa couldn't believe how filthy she was being, but she just couldn't seem to HELP herself. Just as he'd promised, Reno had set her entire body on fire. He pulled his finger from her mouth and teased her right nipple with his wet digit and thumb.

Tifa whimpered as she slouched forward. It felt So. Fucking. Good.

"Reno," she half-moaned.

He lifted her skirt to expose her red lace panties. His thumbs hooked into either side and he began to slide them down, inch-by-inch. Tifa's eyes bugged out at the erotic sight presented before her in the mirror. This was a new perspective that she wasn't accustomed to: Reno was using her own image to turn her on, and Gods was it ever working! Her panties dropped softly to her ankles as he began to rub her right breast and clit in tandem. She wound her arm around his neck to bring him closer. _Oh, he was good._ She'd heard stories but never paid much attention to them. She always viewed him as a pest: The enemy with no respect.

Reno was a famous lover - Even the most dignified women threw themselves at him. Tifa briefly wondered if that's all he would refer to her as after this: just another willing, big-breasted beauty to add to his long list of conquests. She opted to not think too much about it and return to _how good_ he was making her feel. '_At this rate, he's going to ruin me for anyone else,'_ she thought.

Reno pulled the dress over her head and brushed her hair aside to kiss the back of her neck. He continued to work her clit while his free hand roamed over her ample backside, rubbing and squeezing to his hearts content.

Tifa assessed the situation: She was now completely nude while he was still fully-clothed. She already decided that she wasn't going to resist; She was putty in his deft hands. Oh Gods this was all so bad. She had never been so _bad_ before. What if her friends found out about her escapade with the enemy? What would Barrett think? –He'd think she was a harlot, that's what. He'd practically disown her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a zipper.

She turned to face him again. Reno pulled out his cock and placed her hand upon it.

Tifa grasped it firmly as he elicited a moan. He was pretty big. _'Bigger than Cloud'_, she mused.

"Show me what you can do," he said as he caught her lips in a quick kiss. Reno had discarded his blazer and dress shirt in a heap next to his black boots and goggles on the floor. He was now clad only in his dress pants and boxers. He was all lean muscle, lithe and agile.

In a bold motion Tifa pushed him onto the bed, crawling atop him while her soft hair brushed along his torso. She lightly kissed her way up his sculpted abdomen and pectorals, to his clavicles, his Adam's apple...  
She lightly kissed his chin, ghosted over his mouth, to softly peck his upper lip.

She pulled back to look at him.  
Tifa never saw Reno so still before. His eyes were dark, irises wide, peering at her in an attempt see into the inner-workings of her mind.

She worked his cock with her left hand as she rubbed her breasts over his chest and stomach. Her nipples were beyond stimulated from the friction, sending an aching signal to her scorching wet core. She kissed and licked her way down his taut stomach, nearing the hand that she used to pump his cock.

Reno sat up suddenly, skillfully flipping her underneath him. He took hold of her hips and dragged her body to edge of the bed. He stood at the end of the bed now, dropping his pants and boxers, kicking them aside, hovering demonically over her as his cock teased her wet folds. Tifa whimpered as she rubbed her own breasts, carefully watching his every move.

"Do you want me to give it to you?" he asked casually.

Damn him! He _knew_ the answer. He just wanted to hear her beg for it.

She stared up at him, doe-eyed and willing.

"...Give me all of it," she challenged softly, her voice just above a whisper.

He grinned devilishly as he entered her with a sexy moan, his eyes rolling back in his head.

"Fuck _you're tight_," he said through gritted teeth. "Feels so good..." He pushed slowly to the hilt, deliciously tickling her deepest point.

Tifa shuddered; He was certainly **big**. '_And this is why he's so cocky,_' she mused.

She decided that she had never seen anything more beautiful than the way Reno's body responded to entering her.

They found a rhythm quickly. He had somehow managed to set ablaze a new, even more powerful fire deep within her belly.  
They rocked together as he grabbed the back of her thigh, lifting her leg as she wrapped her other leg around his waist. They breathed heavily into each others mouths as sweat began to bead on both of their foreheads. Perspiration poured from their bodies as they moved in tandem. Reno parted her soft lips with his thumb, slipping it into her mouth. She obligingly swirled her tongue around it, moaning softly -Seeing this caused a feral smile to form on his lips. He leaned back, removing his moistened thumb from her mouth, using it to rub her clit as he pumped faster now. She pulled at the mess of ivory bed sheets surrounding her, bunching them in her hands as she stifled a scream. She was nearing the edge as Reno furiously pulled her into his passionate hellfire.

"That's it, baby," he saw her starting to crack. He pushed her breasts together, rubbing her nipples with the pads of his thumbs, forcing her to elicit a breathy "Oooh!"  
"That's my good girl," he pumped with longer strokes now, his red bangs falling into his face, before taking a nipple into his mouth. He expertly licked the taut nub as he squeezed her sweat-slicked breasts -pumping in and out of her all the while -driving her into a slow, _exquisite_ madness.  
Now that she had fully-adjusted to his ample size and stroke, he grabbed her toned midsection with both of his hands and proceeded to pound her -hard and deep.  
"Fuck!" she cried as he slammed into her core, over and over and over. Her muscles clenched around his member as tunnel vision set in.

The sound of her own keening, along with the slapping sounds their bodies made from the aggressive contact, filled the entire room with the smell and sensation of raw sex.  
"I want you to come for me, baby," he growled, bending her legs all the way back, slamming, pounding, grabbing her by the throat, drilling her with his dick and slapping with his balls until she couldn't remember her own name.  
Tifa couldn't hang on any longer. Her vision exploded into a million twinkling stars as she held the bed sheets in a death grip, screaming sweet holy Shiva all the while.

She released everything: her pain, her frustration, her anxieties, her fear of inadequacy, everything that she held inside for the past five years overflowed in delicious agony -followed by the sweet, unadulterated bliss of a woman who was properly fucked for the first time in, well, _ever_.

Reno came hard with a guttural cry, nearly collapsing on top of her. Tifa felt him emptying inside of her, filling her up with his hot cum. It felt so nasty, yet she couldn't help but love the warm, illicit sensation.

It felt good to be bad with him.

Through ragged breaths, Reno feebly held himself up with his left hand, watching in awe as Tifa experienced the high that their carnal activity produced.  
"Fuck, baby..." he pulled out with a light moan. He rolled over, flopping on his back, laying beside her as they both panted heavily, drenched in sweat.

Reno's mind was swirling over the woman who lay next to him: She was strong. She was gorgeous. She was kind. She was witty. She was amazing. She had to be the sexiest woman he ever took to bed. She was... **Crying?!**

He sat up suddenly, "Whoa! Are you hurt?!" he hovered over her with confused concern. He was afraid to touch her.  
Tifa turned away, embarrassed, "::Sniff:: N-no, I'm fine..." She whispered.  
"You don't seem fine to me!" Reno exclaimed. Now he began to panic.  
Thoughts of their lack of protection entered his mind. "Listen, if this is because I didn't pull out, you've got nothing to worry about - I shoot blanks. The 'good doctors' at Shinra labs took care of me with a 'procedure' a while back, so you don't gotta worry... And I'm clean, too! HQ keeps us sterilized and worry-free with their chemical cocktail injections..." he was babbling with worry now.  
"Reno-" she cut him off, catching her breath and wiping her tears. "I'm fine. Really. I was just -overwhelmed. I had so much pent up emotion. I guess it just poured out because, well..." she trailed off.

"Because of how hard you came?" He finished for her bluntly.

She blushed, partially hiding her face behind the covers.  
"Oh, don't get all shy now," he teased. "You got nothing to hide, baby-doll," he cooed in her ear. "I've seen you be a dirty girl," he got even closer, his voice dropping an octave, "and I really, _really_ liked it."

She turned her head to meet his eyes, licking her lips before taking his mouth into another passionate kiss.

* * *

_To be continued...**  
**_


	3. Chapter 3

All characters are property of Square-Enix. I own nothing.

I like smut. I hope you do, too! (If you don't, then why the heck are you here?)

Enjoy ;)

**~Veronica**

* * *

"So you and Strife are done for good, huh?" Reno asked as he flicked an ash from his cigarette into an empty water glass on the nightstand.

Tifa appraised his lean form as he lounged against the wicker headboard. The moonlight created a halo effect around his pale skin giving him an almost ethereal look. His shadowy face was enveloped by smoke as he exhaled.

She wanted more of him.

"Seems like it," she said as nonchalantly as she could muster. She didn't want to go into details. Anyhow, there wasn't much to tell. It was a clean break and she didn't expect Cloud to make any declarations of love or repentance in the near future. Or ever for that matter.

"Well," he began, snuffing his cigarette, "that's good news for me then. That means you and me can play more often." She could see the outline of his wicked smirk as he leaned in and kissed her -Hard and demanding.

* * *

Not long after their initial tryst, the pair found themselves in the shower.

Hot steam filled bathroom. The sound of a harsh sound of a spank -followed by a sinful female moan- echoed off the bathroom tiles.

Reno had Tifa's body pressed against him as he lathered her up from behind. The sting his handiwork left on her ass cheek only served to amplify her already heightened desires. His greedy hands roamed her soapy breasts as he squeezed and massaged her most prominent attributes. She gripped his wrists and whimpered as he softly pinched her nipples, rubbing and tweaking each one as his hardened cock poked shamelessly into her lower back.

"You ready for more?" he breathed into her ear. Tifa nodded in compliance. Her wet hair hung heavily against her back, clinging to her body as Reno spun her around to face him. "You can't get enough, can you?" he smirked as he lifted her up off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he prepared to fuck her standing. He guided his cock into Tifa with his free hand while his other hand held her steady by the waist. He expertly held her upright as he leaned her body back against the tile wall.

'_He's probably done this a thousand times before,'_ she mused. Tifa felt like such a sexual amateur in Reno's presence. Which she was: She never made love anywhere but in a bed. Laying down. Lights off. Minimal noise. She only ever slept with Cloud -and once on a dusty cot in the basement of the old 7th Heaven in Midgar with Johnny, her childhood friend. She actually preferred to block that memory from her mind. It was beyond awkward and he got off _way_ too early. She and Johnny remained friends though, and she visited him and his fiancée at their bar on the outskirts of Edge from time to time. Bad sex was enough to make anybody "just be friends, Ok?"

She let out a squeak as Reno entered her again. Her nerves were still tingling from the explosive orgasm that he so graciously gave to her earlier. The sensation was delicious.

He was right. She_ couldn't _get enough.

"We fit together good, babe. _Real good_," he said as he began to thrust. She sighed from the movement that she felt deep within her now. Reno' s hands roamed to her backside, pushing her down onto his hard cock. She rolled her head back and moaned. The hot water beat down over his neck, dripping from his forehead, causing his red mane to cling to the sides of his face. He spit hot water as he fucked her harder. Tifa watched as the water streamed down his toned chest and abs -heaving from his ragged breath, splashing as it reached the place where their bodies connected in blissful movement.

He was beautiful. Tifa silently wondered why she wasted so much time on someone like lack-luster Cloud when this type of extreme pleasure was out there waiting for her all along.  
It all came at a price, though. She couldn't get emotionally attached, and she couldn't let her friends and family (save for Yuffie) know about her illicit goings-on with this dangerous Turk.  
Seeing how this was the only night she might be able to experience such amazing sex, she planned to get everything she possibly could out of it before she had to return to reality: Back to ho-hum days of paperwork, stock orders, house cleaning, and parenting, followed by long shifts of catering to the rowdy patrons of 7th Heaven -finally ending in lonely, quiet nights. She longed for the days of adventure, training, and fighting again. When had she become so domestic?

"Reno," she blurted quickly, prompting him to still his motions and look directly into her eyes.

"I want you to… -I want it from behind," she admitted with a blush.

He gave her his signature lop-sided grin, "Oh do you, now?" He slid out as he set her down gently.  
"Well if that's the case, you gotta give some to get some, Sweetness." He leaned in and rubbed her bottom lip as he grabbed her hand and placed it on his cock. "A little oral pleasure might do..." His thumb entered her mouth and he pumped it in and out, prompting Tifa to suck on it once again. Reno took a step back and turned off the water; leaving them in a much quieter environment, save for the sounds of their breathing and a few drips of water in the background.  
She obligingly kneeled in front of him as she began to work his cock with both hands.

"You know what I want, Tifa." He cocked his head to the side, peering down at her.  
Never breaking eye contact, Tifa licked her full lips before placing them on the tip of his fully-erect penis, giving it a soft, wet kiss. Reno let out a puff of breath. Then, ever so slowly, she swirled her tongue -which prompted his hips to buck slightly. She moved her moistened lips up and down either side of his cock, darting her wet tongue out here and there, returning to slide the shaft into her mouth as far as it could go -Which was only about half-way considering he was at least 7 inches long. Quite large, and fairly girthy, too. His manhood was large in comparison to his lean body frame. He was certainly blessed, and he certainly knew it.

Reno placed his hand on the back of her head as she began to suck, massaging her scalp through her wet ebony locks. "Fuck baby, that's it" he breathed. "You're a goddamned angel."  
Boldly, she leaned back on her arms to look up at him with a twinkle in her eye. He looked down at her questioningly. Reno's jaw dropped as Tifa scooted forward to place his throbbing cock between her breasts. He daydreamed about this very action since the moment he saw her, way back on the Sector 7 pillar platform. It was a shame to have to battle with such a beautiful creature, but she packed a punch and walloped him good. Since then, she haunted his dreams from time to time. No matter how he tried to hate her for her allegiance to Avalanche, her legendary beauty and kindness always won him over. Subsequently, tonight he felt like he died and went to the Promised Land. No dream could compare to this!

Tifa rubbed her breasts along his member, licking the head each time it popped up between her cleavage. She had seen all of this in a porn movie once, when she and Jessie stumbled into an adult video store in Wall Market ages ago. Both girls stared in shock at the chesty woman on-screen, and the raunchy things she was doing with her breasts. Jessie joked that a Tifa would be "a natural at that". Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would be like one of THOSE girls. _My, how things have changed, _she mused. It seems that all she required was the right partner to drag her out of her girlish shyness into lustful boldness.

Reno decided that before he exploded all over her neck and chest, he would get one last round of penetration in. She did "give some to get some" - and then some, after all.  
He took her by the arms, standing her up. He ushered her out of the shower, grabbing a giant fluffy towel off of the rack in the process. He deftly laid the towl upon the tile floor and motioned for her to kneel upon it.  
"On all fours, baby girl," he smirked and nipped at her earlobe.  
Tifa complied, kneeling into a submissive prayer position and bending her spine until her ass was in the air. Reno positioned himself behind her, teasing her wet hole with the tip of his cock. He rubbed her ass and gave it another light spank, eliciting squeaky little moan to move past her lips. She was practically intoxicated with lust.  
He pushed in slowly; watching with the utmost intensity as her dripping wet pussy practically swallowed him up. Tifa moaned loudly as his throbbing cock twitched inside her very core. This new angle brought him another level deep, if that was even possible, crashing waves of pleasure over the both of their bodies.  
"Ahhh!" she cried helplessly.  
"What do you want baby?" he growled.  
"Reno...!"  
"Tell me what you want," -he didn't move, just -pushed a little deeper, gripping her ass tightly.  
"Fuck me, Reno! Please!" she cried.  
"'Atta girl..." he grabbed hold of her hips and started to move, mesmerized by the way her backside jiggled with each and every thrust. He used both hands to massage her supple cheeks (which now sported some lovely tan lines) as he slammed into her over and over and over... She began to back up into his cock now, meeting his thrusts with equal fervor. He grabbed both her wrists and held them behind her as he pushed his dick as deep as it could go.  
Tifa bit down on the cotton towel to keep herself from screaming like a banshee. His pelvic motions were unrelenting as she began to unravel.  
"Come for me, baby. I want to see it again," he pulled out all the way, only to slam back in, pumping ferociously now.  
"Ahh! Ahhh! AHHH!" she screamed as every single one of her muscles clenched, nerve endings set ablaze - Her tightened pussy milked his cock as Reno found his own release immediately afterwards.  
"Fuuuck yeahh! Yesss, Holy FUCK" he seethed through clenched teeth, breathing like a maniac. Tifa felt his hot load shooting deep inside of her once again. "Oooh..." she moaned in the moments after, as her entire body went limp.  
"Fu-UCK," Reno bellowed, his breathing became ragged as he bucked his hips into her one last time, savoring the feel of her tight pussy clenching around his greedy cock. "I could just about fuck you forever, baby doll."  
He pulled out not long after, leaning back on his arms, wiping his sweaty brow.  
"Shit -I need a cigarette or six after all of that, yo," he laughed softly.  
Tifa collapsed her side with an exhausted moan.

"Me too..." she didn't even know what she was saying as the world went black.

* * *

Tifa woke to the sound of seagulls and ocean surf. She cracked one eye open and groggily surveyed her surroundings. The digital clock on the bamboo nightstand read 11:33am. She realized fairly quickly that she was all alone.  
Had she dreamt the whole thing?  
The fact that she was nude under the covers, coupled with the dull ache between her legs (and light stinging sensation on her behind) prompted her to believe otherwise.  
Reno, in typical Reno fashion, left without saying goodbye. He fucked her senseless until she PASSED OUT! –so _of course_ he hightailed it. She couldn't be mad though. At least he had the decency to tuck her into bed - and, she imagined with a giggle, maybe even kissed her forehead like Prince Charming. That caused her to REALLY start laughing.  
One thing was for certain: He fucked her GOOD. He fucked her well enough that she could probably go for a few more months without any sex and be cool with it -rather than moping in the lonely, horny fashion that she was oh-so-accustomed to.

A rumbling in her stomach prompted her to sit up in bed. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and stretched her limbs in a feline fashion. She was STARVING. She must have burned 2,000 calories the night before. Fucking Reno was amazing cardio. She could get addicted to him for that reason alone.

Yuffie's whereabouts crossed her mind as she stood up to slip on her robe. She silently hoped Yuffie hadn't stumbled into the suite in the middle of the night, greeted by the shameful sounds of her carnal lovemaking with Reno. The little ninja slept like a rock, though, so Tifa didn't have too much to worry about.

She took a look at herself in the mirror: Her hair had dried into a slight mess, so she began to brush out the frizzy knots. She also noticed that her complexion looked absolutely flawless! There was a flush to her cheeks and the bags that had formed under her eyes over the past few weeks had practically disappeared overnight! She set the brush down, leaning back in her vanity chair in wistful contemplation: Reno made her glow.

A tropical getaway, girl time, dancing, drinks, good food, sunshine, and relaxation. That had all helped.  
But one night of earth-shattering sex with her former hated enemy? That made her GLOW.

Well. Ok, then.

Tifa stood up and prepared to face the last day of her vacation. She picked up her PHS from the nightstand and opened it: 5 missed calls, 2 voicemails, and 3 text messages.

"Hoo-boy," she sighed.

The first three calls were from Yuffie, 12:43am, 12:45 am, and 1:02 am followed by a voicemail stating she'd "be in room 2B" and "not to worry!"  
Tifa felt like a crappy friend. She left Yuffie behind and left with a bad and dirty man to do bad and dirty things. From the looks of it, Yuffie had the same idea, so it all worked out in the end. Tifa was certain Yuffie could take care of herself so she had nothing to worry about, really...

The fourth call was Marlene calling from Cid's number at 9:32 am saying that she missed her, have fun, and she couldn't wait to see her tomorrow!  
The fifth call was from - _...Cloud. 9:45am._  
Here eyes widened.  
No voicemail.  
Nothing.

The first text was from Yuffie:  
1:01 am "Heading to 2B with a GORGEOUS MAN. I'll be back in the morning ;) ;)  
Did you ever run into RENO?!  
:p "

_Boy, did she __**EVER **__run into Reno..._

The second text was from Cloud: 9:49am  
"I'll be in town on Wednesday. I'd like to come by to see you and the kids. Give me a call when you get a chance."

Her heart dropped.

Her mind flashed to Reno:_ "I'll fuck you better than that spikey headed prick ever could" ::flashed to her moaning in ecstasy, Reno rubbing her nipples and clit, pounding into her, sweat pouring from his forehead::  
_  
She shook her head as if to expel forbidden thoughts from her mind. If Cloud EVER found out the things she did with "The Degenerate Turk", as he so fondly referred to him, he would slice Reno in half. Then, he would destroy her with his silent judgment.

Tifa shoved that scenario from her mind and moved on to the final text message:

Reno: 9:58am "It was good to see you, babe. Let's do it again sometime."

Her tummy fluttered.

"Ah, shit," she spoke aloud.

An hour later, Yuffie and Tifa sat across from one another on the balcony, a delicious brunch spread before them. Both girls were abnormally quiet, shoveling food into their mouths to sate their enormous appetites -and ultimately, to avoid unspeakable activities from the night before.

"So," Yuffie broke the silence, "Didja get laid?"

Tifa nearly choked on her coffee.

"I KNEW IT!" Yuffie bounced forward in her seat.

Tifa laughed, blushing furiously. She bent her knees into her chest, hiding her smile behind a large glass coffee mug as she leaned back in her wicker chair.

"Apparently I was so drunk that I didn't get ANYWHERE. I woke up next to ...uh, Chad? I think it was Chad, anyhow. We both still had our clothes on and he snored like a sick Bandersnatch. I bolted around nine."

Tifa smiled. At least Yuffie kept her dignity in-tact.

"So... How was it?" Yuffie prodded, "Did the carpet match the drapes?"  
-This prompted Tifa to throw her head back and howl with laughter. Truth be told, Reno didn't have much body hair. None that Tifa noticed, anyway; He was all smooth skin and toned muscle.

Yuffie laughed, too, as she spread entirely too much jam on a biscuit, "I'll bet he was beyond good. That Reno is a firecracker! But he can be such a pain in the ass…"  
"Beyond Good is an understatement..." Tifa mused dreamily.  
Yuffie eyed her friend suspiciously, "Well, sister, you had better dish out the _beyond good_ details, then. -Whatever happened to his blondie date?"

"That was the first thing I asked him, but he never replied," Tifa popped a piece of fruit in her mouth.

"Yeah because she's nobody compared to you, and he knows it," Yuffie grinned.

Their conversation was interrupted by a black Shinra helicopter taking off in the distance.  
They both watched as it drifted off towards the horizon.

Tifa settled her vision on the wind-surfers and jet-skiers below, letting the ocean air caress her face and tangle through her hair.

"And there he goes..." she sighed.

The rest of their last vacation day was spent lounging on the beach one more time. Tifa gave Yuffie a small taste of her hedonistic romp with Reno. If she told her everything, she might die from embarrassment. Yuffie seemed satisfied with the story, so she left it at that.

"Are you gonna see him again?" Yuffie asked as she idly drew circles with a driftwood twig she had found sticking up from the cool evening sand.  
Tifa sat back in on her hands and looked up at the pink and purple sky. The sun began its descent behind the clouds on the horizon as the two girls enjoyed the last rays of daylight before dinner.  
"I'm sure I'll see him again. It's just a matter of when. It could be next week; it could be months from now. It could be tomorrow. Who knows...?" she said with a shrug.

Tifa dug her toes into the sand, lifting her right foot to watch the grains slide off in an hourglass fashion. She figured she'd just go about her daily routine as if nothing had ever transpired between herself and Reno of The Turks. She wouldn't seek him out; that wasn't her style. Not anymore. Tifa had just about enough of pining after an unattainable man in the hopes that he wanted to be with her. That- and she didn't want to inflate Reno's ego anymore that she probably already had. She was so submissive and willing the night before; She didn't want him thinking that he turned her into one of his slutty little fan girls. Tifa Lockhart had SOME pride, after all.

"Do you want to see him again?" Yuffie lifted her knees to her chin, wrapping her arms around her legs, resting her head and peering sideways at Tifa through dark bangs.

Tifa mimicked Yuffie's position, idly playing with her toes.  
"A little, yeah," she admitted with a blush, hiding her face.

"Oh, Teef. You like him!" Yuffie laughed, leaning back on her arms again.

"I know," Tifa moaned begrudgingly, hiding her face. "But I'm gonna keep my distance. He can come to me. If he wants to, that is..."

"I'm SURE he'll want to. Who can resist the charms of Tifa Lockhart?" Yuffie did her best attempt at a pinup pose, winking over her shoulder and blowing Tifa a kiss, prompting her to fall back on the sand and giggle.

"I'm glad you think I'm so sexy!" she poked at Yuffie's leg.

"I'd do ya!" Yuffie laughed as she stretched her arms over her head, cracking her neck and elbows before standing to gather her things. "Come on, girl. A round of margaritas and lobster tails awaits us! We'd better get toasty one more time before we have to face reality in the morning!"

Tifa followed suit as they made their way back to the suite to get ready for the "Ocean Deck Sunday Night Seafood Buffet and _Merengue_Extravaganza!"

What a vacation...

* * *

Monday was a blur.  
Cid swung-by Costa del Sol on the Sierra to pick up the freshly-tanned pair of female vacationers.

"Hop on, Ladies! The crew is excited to see some bona-fide beach bunnies!" Cid yelled down to them.  
Of course his cheerful demeanor had changed not long afterwards. He all but threw Yuffie off the aircraft once they got to Wutai.  
"Giant brat!" He spat as he threw her bags on the ground beside her.  
"It's not MY fault I got sick on the bridge! You're flying is HORRENDOUS AS USUAL!"  
She recovered quickly to turn and give Tifa a hug, "Call me this weekend and we'll meet up!" she yelled over her shoulder as she bounded off towards town.

Cid and Tifa swung back to Rocket Town to pick up the kids before landing safely on the outskirts of Edge.

Marlene and Denzel sported backpacks and hurried alongside Tifa as they recanted their weekend spent with Cid and Shera. "Cid snores WAY LOUD," Marlene laughed. "Denzel stuck a sock in his mouth when he fell asleep in his chair. You should have seen how mad he was when he choked himself awake!"  
Both children laughed as they caught Tifa up on their weekend antics.  
"Cid flew us over Mt. Nibel and Nibelheim in The Tiny Bronco II. He even let me steer!" Denzel beamed.

"Shera makes the best lemon cakes! I helped her bake ten of them for the fundraiser for the Aerospace Society!" Marlene tugged at Tifa's wrist. The consensus was that the kids had a great time, and they couldn't wait to visit Rocket Town again.

Tifa smiled as the trio entered the city, hopping on a bus as they made their way home.

Home, bittersweet home.

* * *

Tuesday was rainy.

After Tifa sent the kids off to school, she spent the afternoon stocking shelves and counting liquor bottles. The first round of patrons began filing in at 5pm. The bar remained busy for the rest of the night. It helped Tifa to keep busy instead of focusing on flashbacks to her lust-filled weekend romp.

That didn't stop the flashbacks from entering her mind, though. They overtook her like a wave, stopping her in her tracks, forcing her to regain her composure now and again. One or two customers noticed, but none found it odd. "Sorry," she smiled at them. "I just remembered I have an important phone call to make," or "Sorry, I forgot I left some food on the stove in the back," and she would hide in the kitchen until she got her wanton thoughts and raging hormones under control.

After she broke down the bar for the night, she clicked off the lights and trudged upstairs to her big empty bed.

He dreams, of course, were hijacked by Reno.

Tifa woke at 4:52 am, sweaty and unsatisfied. She made her way down the hall to draw a hot bath. She spent an hour soaking in the tub and touching herself in an attempt to quell the aching need that her dreams left in their wake. Nothing could compare to the real deal, though. She honestly hoped this burning desire would pass so she could return to normalcy. Whatever _that_ was…

But something, some little voice in the recesses of her mind, told her that things would never be the same again.

The kids were up by 6 and off to school by 7.

Tifa's dishwashing was interrupted by a phone call at 9am sharp.

"Seventh Heaven, this is Tifa" she answered.

"Hey."

_It was Cloud._

"Did you get my text?"

_ It was Wednesday._

She wound her finger around the phone cord, "Yeah. Sorry I didn't text you back. Things have been hectic…."

"Can I come by today? I have a delivery in town and some sweets to give to the kids. A new bakery opened in Kalm and the owner remembered Marlene, so she gave me some freebies."

She noticed something different about his tone: Did Cloud sound _Cheerful?_

"Sure," she replied.

"Everything OK?" he prodded.

"Peachy keen," she feigned enthusiasm. She was acting jumpy and she knew it. And she knew Cloud knew it. He was very perceptive.

"Alright," he almost huffed. "I'll see you at two."

"Mm," she replied, and hung up.

* * *

_Ruh-roh! Here comes Cloud._

_**To be continued...**_


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to everyone for the positive reviews!

I wasn't sure what kind of reaction this story would get. I'm happy that people are enjoying it =)

This Chapter isn't terribly long, but the next one should make up for it.

As always, FFVII and all of its characters belong to Square-Enix. No money is being made from this story.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4

At 2:35 on Wednesday afternoon, Tifa heard the familiar roar of a motorcycle engine outside of 7th Heaven.

Cloud was late.

As usual.

She finished wiping down the bar and made her way to the adjacent kitchen. The kids would be home from school in about ten minutes, so she wanted to have a snack prepared for everyone.

She heard the door open and shut, followed by the sound Cloud's distinct stride.

"I'm in the kitchen!" she yelled out to him, but he was already in the doorway "—Oh!" she exclaimed. Cloud was ever-stealthy. He always caught her off-guard.

"You got a tan," he smiled, holding a white box under his arm, its contents being the pastries he acquired from the bakery in Kalm.

"Mm," she replied. "Yuffie and I spent the weekend at the beach," she said as opened the cupboard to extract some plates. "I was about to make a snack for the kids. How about we give them what you brought? They'll be so happy to see you," she smiled genuinely.

"Are _you_ happy to see me?" he looked directly at her with those bright, hopeful, mako eyes.

_"Wait—is he - ? 'Oh WHY __NOW__'?" _Tifa thought to herself in shock. Why did he have to have interest in her NOW? She caught herself before she slammed the plates down in frustration. It was as though he could sense she had been fooling around. Cloud always had such a hold on her. He could read her like a flashing neon sign.

"Of course," she set the plates down gently and walked over to give him a hug. He hugged her back tightly, as if he was trying to tell her something. The sound of children's voices interrupted them as Cloud let go, taking a step back. He held out the pastry box and she gingerly took it off his hands.

"Cloud!" she heard the kids yell in unison. She listened to the kids chatter with Clous as she opened the box. There were 4 cupcakes with two adult chocobos and two chocobo chicks sculpted from icing atop each one.

A chocobo family: one for each of them.

She placed her palms on the edge of the counter as she hovered over the box in contemplation.

Not long after, Tifa reappeared in the bar with 3 cupcakes on a plate, setting them down on the table in front of the chatting threesome.

"…and Cid flew us over Nibelheim, too!" Marlene finished her story of their weekend spent in Rocket town. The kids and Cloud ate their cupcakes and talked some more as Tifa fiddled behind the bar.

"Tifa," Marlene said, "why aren't you eating your cupcake? Cloud brought you one, didn't he?"

Tifa cringed slightly before speaking over her shoulder to Marlene ,"Of course he did. I'll have it after dinner, sweetie. I'm not hungry right now." She turned as she counted cash from the small safe behind the bar to keep herself busy.

"They're really good!" Denzel chimed in.

Cloud filled everyone in on his travels: He spent the last week in Mt. Corel subcontracting for an old friend of Barrett's. They gave him steady pay and had more work for him in the coming weeks. The people of Corel wanted to rebuild, but the monsters swarming the area made that difficult -Therefore, Cloud had become their resident exterminator. Denzel loved to listen to Cloud's monster-slaying tales. He was practically on the edge of his seat as Cloud explained to him the best ways to strike the enemy from above.

This reminded Tifa that Barrett was due for a visit soon. He had been working on an Oil Rig off the coast of the northern continent for nearly two months. His check-ins were sporadic due to the lack of cell service so far up north.

Eventually the kids made their way upstairs to work on homework before dinner. Cloud followed them as Tifa prepared the bar for the Happy Hour rush at 5pm. The bar was busy from 5 until 10pm. It was a fairly quiet night after that and she closed down a little before Midnight.

She dreaded the walk up to the apartment. She dreaded her return to the doldrums of domesticity with a partner who didn't love her, and by all rights shouldn't even still be there. They ended it, right? What was happening here? Why was he acting like nothing happened? Why did he display interest in her all of a sudden?

Tifa entered the living room and saw Cloud lounging on the couch, channel surfing. He perked up when she entered and plopped down on next to him.

She cut to the chase:

"What are you doing, Cloud?" she said matter-of-factly, even though a question was posed..

Cloud cast his eyes downward in return, contemplating an answer. She stared intently as she waited for his reply.

"I guess I—" he stared at his hands, "I guess that… I'm not ready to give all this up yet."

"To give what up?" she huffed as she crossed her arms and legs, leaning back, bouncing her right calf on her knee in nervous aggravation.

"Us, the kids, the apartment, to give up on this life we built in Edge together," he leaned forward and put his head in his hands. He turned his head sideways and stole a glance at her, "I think we made a mistake."

Tifa was so fed up she could have screamed and punched him in the jaw, but the kids were asleep and she didn't want to traumatize them.

Instead, she calmly stood up, looked down at him and said, "Our_ mistake,_ was trying to be a family in the first place. Cloud I -," she took a deep breath, "I met someone else."

His eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"And I think you should leave. Tonight."

He stood abruptly as he continued to stare at her.

"You can see the kids another time. It's fine. But I just want you to go," she said quietly with her head high and eyes cast downward.

He made his way over to her, about to pass her, but he stopped short to bring to his face close to her ear and ask, "Do I know him?"

She stared into space as she slowly shook her head 'no'.

"I know him," Cloud stated bitterly, knowingly, as if to say _'I'll find out soon'. _He walked heavily down the hall and stomped down the stairs. Tifa heard the bar door slam and Fenrir's engine roar to life as Cloud sped off. Her knees buckled as she fell to the floor and began to cry as silently as she could. Her whole body quaked while she choked back sobs, falling onto her side, huddling into a fetal position.

Marlene found her not long afterwards. Without saying a word, she helped Tifa stand up and get her down the hall and into bed.

Tifa thanked the gods that Marlene was a child who was so wise and worldly. Marlene saw the pain that her surrogate mom silently suffered day-in and day-out, so she knew not to question the drama of the adults around her. She knew Cloud was flighty, aloof, and childish. And she knew Tifa longed for something or someone more than what Cloud could offer. And Tifa loved Marlene all the more for it.

* * *

Thursday was back to the same old routine: Kids off to school early, laundry, dishes, kids home for snack, bar prep, dinner prep, bar rush, closing time and breakdown, and then back up to bed to start over again on Friday.

Marlene never brought up Wednesday night to Tifa, and she shushed Denzel when he asked Tifa about Cloud storming out the night before.

Tifa thanked Marlene by hugging her later. Their bond didn't require words for understanding each other.

Yuffie came to town on Friday. The bar's busiest nights were Friday and Saturday, so Tifa recruited the young ninja to help serve on one or two weekends a month. Good help was hard to find, and if it meant they got to spend some additional girl time together, Yuffie was all for it!

"Where were you last weekend, Gorgeous?" -Ludwig, one of Tifa's faithful weekend patrons hollered to her as he sat down and ordered his usual shot of whiskey and pint of Lager.

"Catching some rays in Costa del Sol," she winked as she poured him a tall, frosty mug of beer.

He whistled and said, "What I wouldn't give to see you in a two-piece."

Ludwig was an iron-worker, a bulky older man with a wife and three kids. He was old enough to be her father, but when had that ever stopped any man from making passes at her?

7th Heaven was packed full of males for one reason: The 'Heavenly' figure, as well as the quick wit, and lovely charm of Tifa Lockhart.

Yuffie made her way out of the kitchen as she tied on her apron and gathered her serving tray.

"I like the hired help!" Ludwig bellowed as he appraised Yuffie. She threw him a toothy grin in response, but rolled her eyes as she turned away. "I think she likes me," he teased as Tifa placed his beer and shot before him.

"Give her a good tip and she'll like you more," Tifa quipped as she sauntered down the bar to serve a few more customers.

By 9pm things had started to get wild. Tifa allowed Marlene to stay up past her bedtime to make sure the bottles were stocked, and to serve as a backup runner if Yuffie couldn't make it to her tables quick enough. The three girls made a great team.

Things started to quiet down around 11:30. The small bar was suited for 20-30 patrons at a time, but tonight's rush maxed out at nearly 40. About fifteen customers, including Ludwig, stuck around after 11pm.

7th Heaven was a good place to get a cheap drink while bar-hopping on a weekend, so Tifa could always bank on the 9pm-11pm rush. Just as she was about to send Marlene to bed for the night, the door opened and Tifa swore she saw an apparition.

It was Rude, followed by Reno and Elena -And another blonde female in a suit.

The blonde from the Big Chill restaurant.

Tifa's heart sank, but then it rose back up to start racing at lightning speed.

_'A turk?'_ she thought. She quickly averted her eyes and returned to tending to the patrons seated at the bar. The three familiar Turks plus this new recruit took their usual corner table. Yuffie took notice and shot a glance at Tifa. She just nodded as Yuffie walked towards the table to run damage control.

"Everything alright?" Ludwig questioned. Tifa's demeanor had obviously changed, so she quickly tired to mask her odd behavior with a cheerful smile. Ludwig had been drinking for nearly four hours, yet he was still pretty perceptive. Marlene took notice that Tifa was jittery, too. She had to get it together.

"Yeah I'm fine!" Tifa smiled at Ludwig. "It's time to get Miss Marlene to bed." Marlene racked the last of the glasses she was washing and dried her hands. "Night Ludwig!" she yelled to the older gentleman as she followed Tifa upstairs.

"Night princess!" he waved back comically with his fingertips.

"Tifa, are you ok?" Marlene whispered as they walked up the stairs. "I know you were sad the other night after what you and Cloud said. Is Rude the guy you were talking about?"

Tifa said nothing as she walked Marlene down the hallway. Marlene was such a smart kid. Very observant. "No, it's not Rude," she replied simply as she helped the young girl take out her hair tie. Hopefully that settled it. She guided Marlene into her room, which was hers-alone now that Tifa allowed Denzel to take Cloud's room for himself.

Marlene sat thoughtfully as she brushed out her hair. Tifa helped her change into her pajamas and climb into bed. "Sleep tight, sweetie," she said as she kissed her forehead and made her way to the door.

"Tifa?" Marlene's little voice rang out as Tifa clicked off the light.

"Mm?" she had her hand on the doorknob.

"Is it Reno?"

::silence::

"Good night, Marlene," Tifa said as she clicked the door shut. She stood there for a minute, chewing her thumbnail, before making her way back downstairs to the Bar.

* * *

_OOOH DRAMAAAA!_

_See you next chapter _;)

_~Veronica_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Thanks to my new followers and the kind reviews! I'm having a lot of fun writing this._**

**_As always, FFVII and all of its characters belong to Square-Enix. _**

**_"Lights Out (Dark Again)" was written by and is property of Gold Fields and their respective record label._**

**_I own nothing, and no money is being made off of this fan-work._**

**_**There's some more smutty lemon stuff in this chapter. If you don't like it, GTFO. You shouldn't be here._**

**_Otherwise,_**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

After Tifa descended the stairs and returned to the bar, she was met with a tense scene:

Ludwig's massive form had moved from his bar stool and was now hovering over the table that the four Turks occupied. His size rivaled Barrett's in bulk muscle and height. Tifa often mused that Ludwig and Barret would be great friends if they had the time of day. He reminded her of a sort of Barret/Cid hybrid: He was quite the character.

She stopped short to survey the bar:

Ludwig's barstool was tipped over. Most of the other occupants had left the scene -save for about four patrons who wanted to see a fight, or were too drunk to move -or to even care about what was happening.

Yuffie stood behind Ludwig in a defensive stance. She held her serving tray held behind her back, set to be thrown as a discus weapon in place of her shuriken if need be.

All of the Turks were standing with their weapons drawn except for Reno, who remained seated, sipping his whiskey, head cocked to the side, looking up with slanted eyes at Ludwig. His arm was slung over the back of his chair in a nonchalant fashion as he listened to Ludwig's drunken tirade:

"—still acting like you're worth a shit! My friends DIED because of you scum fucks! How many fuckin' lives have you people – you, you, you and Shinra destroyed!? How come so many GOOD people died when the goddamned meteor came and YOU STUPID SHINRA CRONIES got to live, huh? Still carrying on like nothin' ever happened…"

"Ludwig," Tifa called softly, to which he turned towards her with clouded eyes.

"TIFA—" Ludwig held his hands before him in a pleading fashion, "How can you LET these people in your bar? Don't you remember that fucker right there-" he accusingly pointed a large finger at Reno, "dropped the fucking PLATE on our homes? He DROPPED THE FUCKING PLATE on Seven! I don't care what anyone else says. It was him. He shitcanned your bar! Your home! Killed hundreds of people! And now you let him waltz right in here and you serve him and you act like _none of it ever fucking happened_?!" Ludwig was heaving now, ready for a fight.

Reno threw back the rest of his whiskey and stood up, tossing some gil on the table as a tip.

"Yo, if I knew that dropping some metal on a shitty part of town nearly five fuckin' years ago was gonna ruin my night tonight, I would have just stayed home," he chided as he slid his mag rod out from his suit jacket and held it over his shoulder, ready to strike.

Reno's statement stung Tifa. Now she was getting riled up, too. It's not that she forgot what Reno and the Turks did to Sector Seven and all of the innocent people who lived there, but she forced herself to move past it in hopes that they had maybe repented for what they did and reformed their terrible ways. The Turks had helped them during the Geostigma and Sephiroth Clone crisis, after all. She guessed she was just hopeful and naive like that.

Reno took a few steps towards to Ludwig, sizing him up, but was interrupted when a barstool whipped in between them. It flew right by Reno's head, whipping his fiery red hair back, shattering into tiny fragments against the wall.

A few shocked gasps could be heard, as well as a "HOLY FUCK!" from a male sitting at the end of the bar who had to dodge a flying chair leg like it was shrapnel.

"Everybody OUT OF MY BAR!" Tifa yelled as she motioned to throw a table next, which caused everyone to glare at her in shock.

"NOW."

The remaining customers except for Ludwig and The Turks made a mad dash for the door and unceremoniously scrambled out.

Yuffie held the serving tray to her chest, holding her breath to see what would happen next.

Reno simply shirked past a dumb-struck Ludwig, putting his hand in his pocket as he made his way over to Tifa who had set the table down and crossed her arms in a fit. "Sorry, babe," he drawled as he walked towards her. "It's a shame. I was hoping to see more of you tonight, too," as he walked past her and pushed his way out the door. Tifa's demeanor softened as she let her arms fall to her sides. The rest of the Turks followed suit. Rude adjusted his tie and coughed a little, "Sorry for the Ruckus, Tifa." Elena just ignored her, and the other blonde looked her up and down in disgust, slamming the door behind her after they all filed out.

Yuffie, Tifa, Ludwig, and a shattered barstool were all that remained.

"Goodnight Ludwig," Tifa said as she took him by the hand and pulled his wobbly, bulky frame to the exit. "The last bus should be coming by soon. I suggest you catch it and go home." With that, she slammed the door in his confused face and bolted it shut. She stood there for a minute with her hand against the door and hung her head in defeated frustration.

"So," Yuffie broke the silence, prompting the older girl to turn towards her. Tifa crossed her arms and leaned back against the door. She exhaled a puff of air that blew her tousled bangs out of her face. "Reno wanted to see more of you tonight, huh?"

A chair whipped by Yuffie's head, which only served to make the playful ninja to squeal with laughter.

* * *

After the girls cleaned up the shattered furniture and broke down for the night, they sat together and shared a bottle of wine in a corner booth. The lights were all turned down low except for the overhead lamp of the booth they occupied. Some light music played on the jukebox in the background.

Yuffie counted her tips and took a sip of wine, "A thousand Gil: Not bad! Too bad the knuckleheads forced us to close early. I was on a roll tonight!"

Tifa sat back and sipped her own glass of wine, enjoying the warming feeling it gave her.

"What the heck happened, anyway? I was only gone for ten minutes," Tifa asked as she leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table, resting her head in her hand.

"Dunno, really. I took the Shinra goofballs' drink orders and went over to the bar. When I was filling them I noticed Luddy getting antsy and talking to himself so I figured he was pretty much donezo. I went back over and gave them their drinks, but when I turned around I walked into a wall –That wall was big 'ol Luddy. And then he started yelling like a total jerk -and that's when you showed up. And then chairs started flying!" Yuffie fell back with laughter.

"Ah, yes. The chairs…" Tifa mused and giggled a little bit. "Did you find out who she was?" she asked. Yuffie didn't have to ask. She knew Tifa was referring to the 'New Turk'.

"Nah," Yuffie sat back up. "I didn't catch her name, and she wasn't so close to Reno this time around."

The girls were interrupted by a soft knock at the door, prompting them both to perk up.

"Want me to get it? Or should we just pretend we're not here?" Yuffie asked in a hushed voice.

"Would you mind answering it?" Tifa said with a tinge of weariness. Yuffie nodded, stood up, and stealthily walked over to the door to unbolt it partially, peering out into the night.

"Back for more, eh?" Tifa overheard her say. She turned to Tifa with a big grin before dramatically opening the door wide to reveal a sheepish-looking Reno.

Tifa turned back towards the corner wall and smiled to herself. "I thought I threw you out," she teased as she counted her tips.

"I'm like a stray cat, Yo. I always come back for more," he teased back, leaning against the door frame with his hands in his pockets. This statement, however, caused a slight tingle in the pit of Tifa's tummy.

Yuffie locked the door behind him and made her way towards the stairs that led up to the apartment. "Well, kids," she began, "I've had enough excitement for tonight. I'm heading to bed." She began to ascend the stairs but turned to point a haughty finger at Tifa, "No more chairs. I need to get my beauty rest."

"…sixty, seventy" Tifa raised her left hand, " –No more chairs – eighty, ninety…" as she continued to count her Gil without looking up.

"Good. Nitey-nite!" Yuffie said as she bounded up the stairs.

"Night, Yuff! Thanks! There's an extra blanket on the back of the couch!" Tifa yelled up to her. With that, the upstairs door clicked shut.

Reno hastily plopped down into the booth across from Tifa. Once seated, he opened his suit jacket to extract a beat-up-looking pack of cigarettes and a butane lighter with the Shinra symbol etched into it. He lit a smoke as he watched her count Gil and write down notes on a supply list. She scribbled down '1 tall stool, 1 chair, multi-colored chalk for specials board' as she sipped some more wine.

The jukebox started up again as they both sat in companionable silence.

_I found my beat, it's in your sound  
If I'm too late, I'll curse the ground  
'Cause I'm just waiting to come down  
Call my name when you're around _

_'Cause it's dark again  
It's dark again_

_We've been living with the lights out  
Been moving in the night  
Keep swimming through the white wash  
We're losing sight._

Tifa felt Reno's intense gaze. It was a warm summer night, so she donned one of her signature miniskirts and a pale pink midriff top to work tonight. Normally she dressed more conservatively, but ending her relationship with Cloud, and beginning a blossoming relationship, or whatever it was, with Reno caused her to spice up her wardrobe, to wear a little bit of makeup and spritz some perfume. She liked feeling pretty again.

Reno reached across the table for an ash tray to flick his cigarette into.  
"I never took you for a wine drinker, Lockhart. You seem like more of a straight liquor kinda gal," he said as he took another drag from his cigarette.

Tifa finished counting her Gil and took another sip of wine. "I like the warm feeling you get from wine. A wine buzz is much more pleasant than a liquor buzz. A liquor buzz usually turns into a scary spiral pretty quick," she said as she gently placed her glass down on the table. "Before you know it, you wake up with a stranger and a pounding headache and lots of regrets."

"Hmm'sat so?" Reno leaned forward and puffed on his cigarette a few more times before snuffing it out. He pushed the ash tray aside and folded his hands in front of him on the table. "I wake up with regrets every day, Babe," he looked Tifa dead in the eye, causing her breath to hitch.

_We've been living with the lights off  
Been moving in the night  
Keep swimming through the white wash  
We're losing sight_

_ …of everything._

"Your buddy earlier, the big guy who decided that I didn't belong here," Reno began.

"-Ludwig," she interrupted him.

"Yeah," he continued. "Ludwig. He had a point. We- I did some pretty fucked up things back in the day. I never cared much about right or wrong. I was just following orders, and I was an angry kid. An angry kid who did bad things-"

Tifa cut him off again, "You wanna get outta here?" She stood quickly and motioned towards the door.

His eyes widened and his mouth remained open in a shocked expression. "Yeah!" He finally responded. "Where we headed?" he stood up and asked cheerfully.

"I don't care," she replied as she pulled out her PHS to text Yuffie that she was headed out, and that she would be back in the morning. She flipped it shut and shoved it in her back pocket.

"I know a place," Reno grinned devilishly.

"Great!" she beamed as she took his arm and they strolled out the door. Tifa made sure to lock everything up good and tight behind her.

What she failed to do, however, was notice that a familiar motorcycle was parked across the street -in the shadowy area where the glow of the street lights failed to reach.

_The hounds bring hate, man they're so loud.  
They bark and break their way through town.  
That violence makes me feel so proud.  
'Cause my silence takes you to the clouds _

They caught the 1:05am train to the South Side of town. Tifa leaned intimately into Reno during the short ride. He smelled so delicious to her. Even though her wine buzz had worn off somewhat, she still felt so warm in his presence. They didn't speak the entire time; they just exchanged glances and little caresses. Tifa took his free hand and studied his left palm, drawing lazy circles on it with her fingertips. This elicited a slight growl of frustration from him, and in turn, an impish giggle from her.

_'Cause it's dark again  
Now in the dark again._

_We've been living with the lights off_  
_Been moving in the night_  
_Keep swimming through the white wash_  
_We're losing sight._

Reno leaned in and captured her mouth with his lips. They kissed each other deeply, as though the both of them were drowning at the same time, yet somehow trying to save one another from something they couldn't quite control. He held her neck and cradled her head in his hands. He broke the kiss to harshly whisper in her ear: "I've wanted to kiss you like this for days now. It was killing me to know that you were so goddamned close but I couldn't have you, Tifa."  
Before her brain got a chance to fire neurons in time to form a response, the train stopped. "We get off here," he said, taking her by the hand and pulling her up behind him.  
"Do we?" She said innocently as she leaned into his back.  
"Dirty girl," he smirked as he lead the way off the train and back into the night.

The part of town they entered was quiet and deserted at this time of night. Tifa lived in midtown where all the action was. Being a business-owner, she naturally lived where nightlife thrived. She had only ever come to the South Edge a handful of times, and even then she was just passing through. It was a less developed area with many buildings still under construction. The silhouettes of giant cranes loomed in the distance as the pair made their way down the quiet street. The lingering air pollution gave the night sky an eerie orange glow. The bustling city noise that Tifa had become accustomed to had faded to a soft hum in the distance.

_We've been living with the lights off  
Been moving in the night  
Keep swimming through the white wash  
We're losing sight._

_…Of everything_

They walked for about 4 blocks in silence before Reno stopped. He took Tifa by the hand and led her down a short flight of stairs that lead to a small underground speakeasy. They were "greeted" by a large bouncer who let them enter once he recognized Reno. The bouncer let out a whistle in appraisal of his 'date'.  
"Yeah, yeah," Reno responded as he led Tifa into the private underground club.  
"Something tells me that having you around is gonna bring me some attention, yo," he chided.  
"Good attention, I hope?" She chided back.  
"Well," he began, "let's just hope it's not the kind of attention that will cause any more chairs to fly tonight, Babydoll."  
"Alright," she laughed.

* * *

The speakeasy was very intimate. The walls were painted romantic red, and the bar was ornately carved from deep mahogany. Everything was plush and classy. The lights were dim and soft jazz played in the background. Tifa took note that all of the liquor behind the bar was top shelf. Reno lead her to a high top table where she hopped up and took a seat.  
"What'll it be?" Reno asked in a mock-bartender tone.  
"A dirty martini with three fingers of gin," she smiled, holding up three fingers.  
"I love it when you talk like that," he smirked as he extracted his wallet from his back pocket. "But what happened to your stance on hard liquor?"  
"I dunno," she leaned forward and placed her arms on the table. "Hanging around with you has rubbed off on my decision-making skills, I suppose."  
Reno faked a wounded chest as he clutched his suit jacket and tore away from her in a comical fashion.  
She laughed whole-heartedly at his dramatic display.  
Something told her they might be a bit too wound-up for the mellow patrons of this underground hideaway.

_We've been living with the lights off  
Been moving in the night  
Keep swimming through the white wash  
We're losing sight_

_…of everything._

_Deep thinker, ship sinker_  
_Channel me on your way down_  
_Slow drinker, hard liquor_  
_This sea won't let you drown_

_Deep sleeper, slow blinker_  
_Wake up to what we've found_  
_Slow faker, heart breaker_  
_Broke free, we're heaven bound_

_'Cause it's dark again_

The pair sat close to one another as they sipped their drinks. Tifa leaned in as Reno put an arm around her waist. She had to swat his other hand away multiple times to retain her dignity in front of other people in the bar, who had been staring openly at them since they walked in.

"Do you bring all your girlfriends here?" she prodded playfully.

Reno rubbed the back of his neck, "Nah, I only bring the classiest of hookers here." -This warranted a harsh pinch to his side. "OW –okay, Okay! What's next? You gonna throw a table at me?" he teased as he tickled her ribs.

Tifa smiled and continued sipping her martini. It was certainly strong; Speakeasy bartenders don't mess around.

"Honestly, I never brought anybody here," he continued. "Not even Rude. I like coming here on my own once in a while. It's my 'happy place' away from Tseng and Mr. Prez and Shinra bullshit," he swirled his finger on the rim of his glass.

Tifa liked what she heard. Reno liked and trusted her enough to let her in on one of his secrets. That had to count for something, right?

Reno insisted on placing his hand on her inner-thigh, and while that was a turn-on for her, the high top table put them on display for patrons in lower seating.

"Let them watch," Reno whispered as he nibbled her earlobe. "I want them to see what I get to have and they don't." He slid his hand up higher and grazed his fingertips along her panties.  
"Reno!" she pushed his hand away in embarrassment. She was half way through her Martini- and on the path to the 'hard liquor spiral' that she warned about earlier in the night. Any more of that and she'd let him fuck her right there for the whole bar to watch.

She grabbed his wrist and said gently, "I'd rather if you wait until we're alone, Reno."

* * *

Before too long, Tifa found herself in a heavy makeout session with the flame-haired Turk in an elevator. They were in his apartment building now -which just so happened to be the building above the speakeasy.

The door chimed as they reached their destination. The doors opened and they stumbled out into the hallway. Reno grabbed her by her bicep and practically dragged her to his door. He inserted a key card that opened the door to a dark apartment, save for the dim light above the kitchen sink. He kicked the door shut with his foot and proceeded to stalk Tifa into the living room.  
"I figured I should let you know: I plan on doing some vile things to you tonight, woman," he said as he flipped on the light switch, revealing a spacious living area with plush couches, a large flat screen TV, and a beautiful view of the city through large floor to ceiling windows.

In a bold motion, Tifa pulled her tank top over her head, leaving her upper-half clad in a skimpy pink bikini-style bra. Reno took a step closer, his eyes wide and pupils dilated. She then wiggled out of her miniskirt to reveal baby pink panties to match. She kicked off her girly cowboy boots and stood before him in her lingerie, not daring to move until he did.  
Before she knew what was happening, Reno backed her up onto the couch.  
He un-clasped his mag rod from his wrist, placing it on the coffee table. He discarded his suit jacket and shirt as he proceeded to climb on top of her. He rubbed her breasts with both hands, pushing the fabric aside to reveal her perfect pink nipples. Tifa gasped as he swirled his tongue around one, and then another, stimulating each one with the tips of his thumbs as he moved between them. She held his wrists tight as she mewled and whimpered his name.  
"These tan lines are really fuckin' hot," Reno breathed as he worked his way down her taut stomach to her panties. He rubbed her clit through damp fabric, watching her face intently.

Tifa moaned.

Reno had set her on fire again.

_Deep thinker, ship sinker  
Channel me on your way down  
Slow drinker, hard liquor  
This sea won't let you drown_

_Deep sleeper, slow blinker  
Wake up to what we've found  
Slow faker, heart breaker  
Broke free, we're heaven bound_

He moved the fabric aside and proceeded to eat her out in a ravenous fashion. Tifa gripped at the couch cushions while he entered her with his fingers, curling up to hit her g-spot. He looked up at her and smirked, "Three fingers," as he held up his free hand, showing her three fingers to mimic her drink order from earlier.

"Reno!" she threw a pillow at his face, laughing.

"Now you're gonna get it," he laughed darkly as he shifted his fingers in her further, relentlessly stimulating her from the inside-out. He reached up with his other hand and slipped his thumb in her mouth to suck on. He then pulled it out to play with one of her nipples.

"Oooh! OoooH!" she moaned. She rubbed her own clit as he pumped his fingers harder.

"I need to see you come," he demanded, "and then I'm gonna fuck you til you come ten more times," he promised.

Tifa snapped.

She came with a strangled cry as Reno watched her in absolute fascination. He slid his soaked fingers out and pulled her up off the couch, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Ah!" she cried in confusion. "What-?" She realized quickly that he was carrying her down the hall. He opened a door that led to his bedroom. He dumped her on the bed and clicked on the lights. Tifa scrambled to sit up and survey the room around her. His bed was messy, un-made, and it smelled just like him -which kicked her senses into overdrive. The bed was large and covered in white bed sheets. There were two night stands on either side of the bed which held two small lamps; one nightstand was littered with magazines and receipts, while the other held an empty glass, some gil, and a few pill bottles. There was a desk in the corner that held a computer, some weapons -a large blade, two handguns and some ammo, some papers, with a large chair that was piled high with (presumably dirty) clothes. There was a closet to her left, and a dresser with a mirror opposite the bed. The dresser held another lamp, cologne, deodorant, and a small stack of books. The walls were fairly plain, except for a painting of a cityscape that hung on the wall above the bed.

Tifa adjusted her bra and looked up at Reno, who was openly staring at her.

She bit her lip. Boldly, she shifted to her hands and knees and crawled towards him. She curled her finger in a "come hither" fashion to which he immediately complied. She stood up on her knees on the edge of the bed and pulled him close. She kissed his chest and neck as she lightly scratched her nails along his ribs.

"Reno," she whispered in his ear. He turned his head to lock eyes with her.

"Mm," he replied.

"What are you gonna do to me?" she asked in tiny, innocent voice.

Before she knew it, Reno had her flipped around and pinned to the bed. He tore her panties off and slid his fingers inside of her, probing her still-wet, still-throbbing pussy. She heard his zipper and braced herself for entry. His hands harshly gripped her asscheeks as he filled her up entirely with his cock. He began to pump while she moaned into a soft pillow, relishing his scent.

"Fuck yeah," he breathed as he grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing deep.

He hooked an arm around her midsection, hoisting her up to bring them both into an upright kneeling position. She moved up and down on his cock as he worked her clit with his left hand, and rubbed her breasts with his right, kissing and biting her neck. Tifa caught a glimpse of their reflection in his mirror. They looked absolutely perfect; melded together in fiery passion.

He pulled out and swiftly repositioned her body underneath him, and proceeded to place his cock between her breasts.

"Do that thing I like," he smirked as he pushed the fabric of her bra to the side again, fully exposing both breasts. He rubbed her nipples with his thumbs as he pushed her breasts together around his rock hard member. Tifa complied and replaced his hands with her own as he began to pump, hovering over her as he deftly opened the drawer to his night stand to extract a small bottle of lubricant. Without saying a word, he squirted some lube on his cock -that dripped in-between her breasts, creating slippery friction. She caught the tip of his cock between her lips each time it popped up between her breasts. This caused Reno to groan in blissful agony.

"Rub your tits," he commanded. So she smooshed her breasts and rubbed her lube-slicked nipples with her index fingers as he moved a little faster. Everything was so intense, and she ached for him to be back inside of her. As if sensing her distress, he let her lick the head one last time before shifting back down to settle between her legs. He lubed up his cock and entered her immediately, pushing her thighs back as far as they could go. Tifa's feet touched above her head as Reno furiously pounded her pussy. The bed banged against the wall and the floors creaked while Tifa screamed unintelligible words. They had both gone mad with lust. He pounded her relentlessly as she came once, then twice, and then a third time. She never even knew it was possible! She whimpered from the onslaught of intensity.

"Holy fuck!" Reno shouted as he came. Hard.

Tifa felt the familiar warm sensation as he emptied inside of her, his whole body shaking, gritting his teeth with his eyes shut tight. They stayed still together for a moment, sweaty and panting like animals. As Reno pulled out, his jizz splattered and overflowed from her pussy. "Holy fuck," he said again, a little more quietly as he collapsed next to her. "I didn't know I had THAT in me," he laughed. "Literally." He snorted as he pulled her close and kissed her head through damp hair.

"I think I love you," he laughed to himself in disbelief.

Tifa was in a fog. What did he say? Everything was going black again. The edges of her vision were all blurred.

Nothing was real.

It was all a dream, right?

_We've been living with the lights off  
Been moving in the night  
Keep swimming through the white wash  
We're losing sight_

_…of everything._

* * *

**_To be continued..._**

**_~Veronica_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Thanks to my latest reviewers for the positive feedback!_**

**_As always, FFVII and it's characters belong to Square-Enix and not me :(_**

**_No money is being made from this work of fiction._**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

Tifa woke up in an unfamiliar room.  
Her eyes adjusted to the dim light while she slowly remembered where she was. Small clues helped her piece the puzzle together: the dull ache between her thighs, the Shinra badge on the nightstand, the familiar masculine scent, and finally, the sleeping form of a handsome Turk next to her.

Tifa studied Reno's face as he slept. He had such feminine features, but it worked for him. He and Cloud were similar in that aspect. She couldn't help but lightly trace a finger along one of his red facial tattoos. She always wondered about the meaning behind them, but never dared to ask. Something about them made her a little nervous; as though if she asked, she wouldn't necessarily like the answer. The same could be said about the "New Turk". Who was she, anyway? And why hadn't Reno just told her she was a Shinra employee in the first place? Tifa figured she would wait to ask him another time. He obviously wasn't keen on telling her anything about this mysterious woman, and she didn't want to ruin what little time they had left together by aggravating him. She had to shift back to reality eventually. Which reminded her: she had to get in touch with Yuffie to check on the kids.  
The clock on Reno's night stand read 5:29am. Everyone was probably still in bed, but she figured she would still text to check-in.

Slowly, she rose from the bed and began fiddling around to locate her discarded panties. Reno flung them all the way over to the top of his desk. They landed comically on the computer keyboard. She slipped them back on, and then fished through his pile of laundry for a decent shirt to cover up with. She settled on a black t-shirt that read: "Port Junon Trading Co" on the front in big white letters. She relished the scent that Reno's shirt gave off (Tifa planned on keeping this one for herself).

Being extra-careful not to wake him, she slowly opened and closed the door, and proceeded to quietly tip-toe down the hallway.  
She located her tank top and mini skirt on the floor in the living room. She gathered them both up and made her way over to the couch, leaning over the back to get a glimpse of the city. The sky was slowly brightening in the early morning hours, while the South Side of Town remained peaceful. Being that it was Sunday, she was fairly certain that there wouldn't be much action outside for a while yet.  
She turned back to slip her PHS out of her miniskirt pocket. She flipped it open to reveal no new messages, which was a relief.  
She received a text response from Yuffie while she and Reno were on the train the night before. It simply read: "K have fun!", so she felt a little less guilty for leaving Yuffie to babysit -Especially since she ran off to be a heathen again with the 'Second in Command' of the Turks, for goodness sake!

Now, how to word it?

_"Morning! I hope u slept well. I'll be back as soon as I can. There's waffles in the freezer. Plz tell the kids I had to meet a friend &amp; I'll see them soon. Thx! :3"_

She hit send and prayed it was enough.

She turned back to watch the first rays of sunlight peek over the horizon. Hues of pink and purple began to light up the early morning sky. The apartment was quiet, except for the hum of the refrigerator and the central air in the background. Tifa really liked Reno's apartment. She never really gave much thought to where he lived before. She assumed that if he lived anywhere, it would be with Rude. Surveying the room a little bit more (not having much of a chance to do so the night before, for obvious reasons), she noticed his mag rod, cuff and chain, and omnipresent goggles that sat on the glass coffee table. Tifa stared in fascination at the electric weapon that Reno frequently used to torture both she and her friends in the past. She nearly laughed out loud at the irony: he wanted to torture her with another type of "rod" all along. _'Boys will be boys'_, and all that...

Her mind wandered to a few hours prior. He fucked her silly. Again. She didn't expect anything less. But then another thought entered her mind:

Hadn't he said he _loved_ her? Or rather, that he _thought_ he loved her.

"I think I love you," rang out in her brain, over and over, followed by his playful laugh.  
Maybe he was joking? He had to be. That's the kind of stuff girls say out loud accidentally when they lose themselves in the early stages of a relationship too quickly. Tifa chided herself for such backwards thinking, but she knew that it was something that she herself would never do, because she wasn't like other girls. She wasn't a lovestruck ninny…

...was she?

She liked Reno. A lot. She never dreamed that they could be so …intimate. -But _loved_ him? No. Not yet, anyway. She brushed his (partial) declaration off and decided not to think about it anymore. Love just complicated things.

She got up from the couch and wandered around some more. She floated over to the small, unused dining room. It contained a small dinette set and a large liquor cabinet; Reno's priorities were evident, she mused. The dining room segued into a small kitchen. There was a breakfast nook in the wall with two large barstools. Reno's kitchen was streamlined with stainless steel appliances and contemporary dishware (which also looked seldom-used). Out of sheer curiosity, she opened his fridge. Inside, she found Chinese take-out containers, a nearly empty bottle of milk, a pitcher of filtered water, a few cans of beer, a carton of eggs, and plenty of condiments. _'Typical bachelor'_ she giggled to herself.

Tifa shut the refrigerator door, stood up, but immediately jumped back when she was greeted with a sleepy, disheveled Reno in the kitchen doorway. He was so stealthy, even when he was half-asleep. Tifa let out a small "Eep!" in surprise as she regained her footing.

"S'matter, girl? Did I scare ya?" he smiled wolfishly at her. He was now clad in a white undershirt and navy sweatpants.

_Damn him…!_

"Ya hungry?" he said as he moved towards her, backing her up against the counter. She shook her head 'no' and stared up at him with big puppy eyes. He looked her up and down, studying her current state of attire.

"Nice shirt. I think I have one like that," he joked as he brushed her hair to the side and kissed her neck. Tifa gasped lightly. He was insatiable. And from the way things were going, it appeared she was, too. She hooked her arms around his neck as he lifted her up to seat her on the counter. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he pulled her hair back to tilt her head up for better access. He claimed her mouth with his as he squeezed her hips with his strong hands. She kissed him back with equal fervor. Heat began to pool in her lower belly again. He tugged his Port Junon t-shirt up over her shoulders, tossing it to the side. He placed his hands on the counter on either side of her, leaning in and looking into her eyes, as if searching for something.

"…What is it?" She asked softly.

Reno's eyes narrowed. He reached over and opened the freezer, extracting a tray of small ice cubes, popping one in his mouth in the process. He placed the tray on the counter and pulled Tifa in close, half-hugging her. She "mmph'd" into his chest as she realized he was unclasping her bra. He pulled it off and tossed it aside.

"What?" Tifa questioned as she covered her breasts with her arms.

"I think we should play," Reno said as he leaned into her, crunching on the ice cube. He captured her mouth once more, and she gasped at the cold sensation. "Oh," she giggled as he broke the kiss and trailed his cold tongue down her neck, over her chest, down her right breast, causing her to shiver with pleasure. His tongue landed on a nipple, swirling around it as she gasped. She arched her back into him as he sucked her breast with his cold mouth. "Ah!" she cried as she snarled her fingers in his wild mane, pulling him close. Before she knew what was happening, he grabbed another ice cube and swirled it around her opposite nipple with his fingers.

"Reno!" she cried out, with a slight giggle.

"Tifa," he replied with an even voice, smiling devilishly.

They were rudely interrupted by a harsh pounding on his front door. They both froze (how appropriate), staring at one-another with wide-eyes. There was another hard knock, this time accompanied by the doorbell ringing frantically. The both turned their heads in the direction of the door.

"Reno!" Tseng's muffled voice sounded agitated behind the door, "Open up or I swear to god I'll shoot your damn door down!" There was a slight pause, "A-GAIN."

Reno winced at that last part, as though he was being scolded like a child. He looked beyond annoyed.

"Wait here," he said quietly to Tifa, tossing the ice cube in the sink. She nodded in compliance as she eased down from the counter. She gathered up the t-shirt and bra and slipped into the shadowy dining area. If Tseng entered, hopefully he wouldn't notice her presence.

She eavesdropped as Reno opened the door a crack.

"Morning Boss! Great to see you!" Reno said with a little too much enthusiasm.

Tifa surmised that it had to be a little past 6:00am at this point. It must be an emergency if Tseng personally came to Reno's front door.

"Why didn't you answer my calls? I've been trying to get in touch with you since four. Rude said you were getting bombed again last night at Seventh Heaven. Did you drop your PHS in the toilet again?" Tseng asked in annoyance. Tifa had to stifle a snort as she hid behind the wall and put Reno's t-shirt back on.

"My PHS?" Reno sounded genuinely confused, "Uh, maybe I left it at Rude's. So what's the sitch?"

Tifa heard papers rustling in the background, "There's been an incident in the north, offshore of Bone Village. Shinra's drilling operations were interrupted by eco-terrorists, from the looks of it. It looks like Avalanche, but we can't be sure. I need you to have the chopper ready at oh-nine-hundred. We're taking off from the southeast helipad," Tseng finished as Tifa heard some more rustling of papers.

"Do you have company?" Tseng inquired, causing a pit to form in Tifa's stomach.

"Nah, I've just taken a liking to wearing ladies boots these days," Reno deadpanned. Tifa forgot she left her cowboy boots near the doorway.

"Maybe we shouldn't have Vayda go with you, then?" Tseng asked with a more serious tone.

"Probably not," Reno replied curtly.

"Noted," Tseng responded. "Find your fucking phone, Reno. You're causing me a lot of grief. Oh nine-hundred. I'll meet you there with Rude."

"Roger, wilco."

And with that the door shut.

Tifa continued to stand silently, confused and a little upset.- Northern drilling operations - Barrett? - Avalanche - Vayda. "….Vayda?" she said aloud without realizing it.

Reno rounded the corner to find Tifa standing in silent distress.

"Sorry about all that," he said as he scratched the back of his head. "Duty calls…" he trailed. He still said nothing about 'Vayda'. Tifa surmised that Vayda was the beautiful blonde 'New Turk'.

She felt sick. Tseng's referral solidified her fears. Reno must also be seeing 'Vayda'. Did he take Vayda to his speakeasy hideaway? Did Vayda share his bed? Did he tell Vayda that he thought he loved her, too?

A million thoughts swirled in her brain. She abrubtly gathered herself and her articles of clothing and brushed past him.

"It's ok do what you gotta do," she said as she hastily slipped her skirt back on and stepped into her boots, "I really have to get home anyway before the kids get too worried about me. And I have a ton of laundry to do, so I'll just—"

"Tifa," he cut her off, "are you ok? I mean, I'm sorry about Tseng—" Reno seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'm good. Don't worry. Just – I have to go," she rushed towards the door.

Reno quickly cut in front of her before she could grab the handle, "Tifa," he took her by the shoulders in an attempt to look into her eyes. "I know it's not Avalanche up there. It's probably just some locals who are upset by the drilling. I'm not gonna hurt anyone you care about."

That was a relief to hear, even if it was a lie. However, before her rational brain could stop what her heart and ego were both thinking, she blurted out, "Are you sleeping with her, too?"

Reno looked taken aback. "…You mean Vayda," he said in realization.

Tifa refused to look him in the eye.

"I'm only sleeping with you, Tifa," he admitted. "I only want you." He took her hand and kissed her palm, holding it to his cheek.

She took some comfort in his words and actions, but she still didn't trust him. Not fully, anyway.

"Okay," she whispered. "But I really should go. The kids and Yuffie will be waiting for me."

"I know," he smiled. "We'll finish what we started when I get back," he promised with a lustful gleam in his eye.

"Yeah," she breathed before he kissed her softly. She broke it before they got too hot and heavy again.

"Bye, Reno," she said as backed out of his door and into the hallway, waving to him before she got on the elevator. He stood at his door and watched her until the elevator doors slid shut.

* * *

Tifa was eternally grateful that it was Sunday as she boarded the train: Her "walk of shame" wouldn't be seen by respectable men and women in business suits on their way to work.

She took a window seat and checked her phone.

One new text message:

Yuffie, 6:23am: "Sounds good! See u soon! Can't wait for big girl story time ;)"

Tifa smiled. As she was about to flip the PHS shut, another text came through:

Reno, 6:35am: "Found my phone. Wasn't in the toilet. Or at Rude's. Ringer was off."

Then another one came through immediately after that:

Reno, 6:36am: "I was really hoping to eat breakfast off of you this morning. Or maybe just eat you for breakfast, instead ;)"

Tifa blushed and subconsciously hid her PHS screen from view, even though the train car was empty. She giggled bashfully as she typed her reply:

"Next time :p"

She hit send.

The train began to move as she awaited his reply.

Reno, 6:40am: "Can't wait."

Tifa smiled and flipped her phone shut.

In that moment, she thought maybe, just maybe, she might love him too.

Which was crazy.

...Right?

* * *

_**To be continued…**_

_**~Veronica**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Thanks again for all of the reviews! I'm on a roll these past few days..._**

**_FFVII and all of its characters belong to Square-Enix. Plz no sue!_**

* * *

The morning began to heat up by the time Tifa departed the train at midtown.

She stepped into the muggy morning air and made her way the few short blocks back to 7th Heaven. She checked the time on her PHS: 7:20 am. If she was lucky she'd slip back into the apartment unnoticed before the kids woke up.

Once she reached her destination, she made her way up the stairs and unlocked the door. She heard chatter behind the door, followed by "shush"-ing noises. Tifa opened the door to see Marlene and Denzel flipping pancakes and pouring juice.

"Hi!" Marlene beamed. Tifa smiled. She looked so cute in her little apron, standing on a stool to reach the hot plate.  
"What's this?" Tifa asked, smiling from ear to ear.  
"We wanted to make breakfast before Yuffie burned the house down," Denzel snorted before gulping some orange juice.  
"I take it she's still asleep?" Tifa asked, not surprised. She pictured Yuffie texting her earlier in a sleepy haze, followed by chucking the phone across the room, and then turning over to catch some more Z's.

"Out like a light," Marlene said matter-of-factly before flipping another pancake.  
"My," said Tifa, taking a seat across from Denzel, "what good little worker elves I have. Thank you both for babysitting Yuffie while I was out."  
"Anytime," Marlene gave her a thumbs-up as she plopped a pancake on Tifa's plate.  
"Tifa," Denzel began, eying her up suspiciously, "Were you really in Junon this morning?" as he set down his glass of juice to scrutinize her state of dress.  
Tifa stared at him for a moment, confused. It was then that she realized that she was still wearing Reno's 'Port Junon Trading Co' shirt. She laughed nervously, "Oh! No! - No sweetie I had to go to the South Side of town to visit an old friend. My shirt got dirty so I borrowed this one." She hoped her answer would suffice and that Denzel would drop the subject.  
"Oh," was all that Denzel said.  
Relieved, Tifa poured some syrup on her pancakes.  
"Was your old friend a boyfriend?" Denzel continued.  
"Denzel!" Marlene whispered loudly.

Well, it was time for her to come clean. The kids weren't stupid, and they deserved to know where their "mom" had been.

"Denzel, sweetie," Tifa began, unsure of herself, "he's an old friend, but not my boyfriend. But he might be someday."  
"But what about Cloud?" He asked, almost upset -Cloud was his hero, after all.  
She had to break it to him gently, "Sweetie, Cloud and I will always be friends, but he isn't my boyfriend."  
She had to make it right, to let Denzel know that Cloud would always be there for him. At least she hoped he would. "I'll tell you what, how about I give him a call later, and we can see if he has time to take you for a ride this week? I can pack you both a lunch and maybe he can take you to the Chocobo Farm up north? Would you like that?"  
Denzel still seemed unsure, but he gave in, "Yeah I'd really like that." He smiled and began to cut up his food.  
Truth be told, Tifa dreaded calling Cloud, but if it meant Denzel would be happy, then she'd do whatever she could to make it happen.

Tifa and Marlene exchanged glances, but we're interrupted when the heard an enormous yawn.

"What's cookin'?"

The trio looked up to see a disheveled Yuffie in the doorway, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.  
"Good morning, sunshine," Tifa smiled. "Have a seat. Marlene made breakfast."  
Yuffie basically fell into the chair and rested her head on her arms on the table, groaning. Marlene had to tap her on the head with a spatula to get her to sit up so she could serve breakfast.  
They all settled down not long after to enjoy an early Sunday meal together.

Once finished, Marlene and Denzel went outside to play, Yuffie went back to sleep on the couch, and Tifa put on a pot of coffee. She sat at the table and enjoyed her cup of coffee in solitude, reminiscing about the steamy night she spent with Reno -and their morning session that was unfortunately cut short when Tseng came-a-knockin'.

Tifa knew she was due for a shower. She was sweaty and sticky from her romp with Reno, and her jaunt home in the muggy morning heat didn't help matters.  
Tifa made her way down the hall to her room. She gathered her towels and toiletries before entering the bathroom. She slipped out of her clothes (well, partially Reno's clothes) and studied her naked body in the mirror.  
She mimicked Reno's hands on her body with her own, imagining him touching her. This gave her an idea: she pulled the PHS out of her skirt pocket and aimed the camera towards the mirror. She shot a few pictures of her naked body in different positions, deliberately cropping them just below her face (in case anyone undesirable got their hands on them). She settled on an image that had a "classy" feel to it: her torso was turned partially, fully exposing one breast, while the other one was hidden by her ebony hair. Her backside was partially exposed, revealing her still-present tan lines. She scrolled to Reno's number and clicked send.

Pleased with herself, she hopped in the shower and began to lather away any evidence from the night before.

When she got out, she wrapped a towel around herself and checked her phone.  
1 new massage from Reno, 9:07am:  
"Whoa, girl! I just got this chopper off the ground. Ur gonna make me crash if u keep that up ;)"

Tifa giggled. Oh this was fun!

She stripped her towel off and repositioned herself, snapping shots of a few different poses this time. She squeezed some excess soap suds from her loofah in-between her breasts and laid some of her wet hair across her chest. Her skin glistened deliciously in the photos.

She typed back, "Then maybe u should focus on flying instead of txting" as she attached another photo and hit send.

Her phone chimed as another text came through,  
Reno, 9:18am: "Ur really gonna get it when I see u again"  
-This made her tummy flutter with excitement.  
Her phone chimed again,  
Reno, 9:20am:  
He sent her a picture of a drifting chunk of northern glacial ice in the water, accompanied by text that simply said "Payback."

Tifa nearly toppled over with laughter. He was so quick-witted and hilarious that it almost scared her.

She gave him an "LMAO" text and bounded off to her room.

Even though she got minimal sleep the night before, Tifa was fully energized. She changed into jean shorts and a tank top and got to work on the laundry that had piled up over the week.  
While she was in the basement folding Marlene's tops, she heard an excited ruckus overhead. She hauled one of two large laundry baskets up three flights of stairs, opening the door to reveal a big surprise:  
"Daddy's back!" Marlene exclaimed as she ran towards Tifa, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her into the living room. Barrett didn't notice her come in at first, as he was on the couch chatting excitedly with Yuffie.

"Barret!" Tifa cried as she dropped her laundry basket and jumped on his back, embracing him in a warm fashion.  
"Ay-yo girl! I missed you too!" He laughed as he leaned into Tifa's embrace and patted her arm with his organic hand.  
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she climbed down from his behemoth form. "We didn't expect to see you so soon!"  
"Sorry to interrupt. Didn't know I needed a formal invite, shiiiit," he teased.  
"Oh, you know what I mean," Tifa giggled and swatted him playfully on the shoulder. "It's a nice surprise!"

Everyone settled into the living room while Tifa served some iced tea.

"I caught some heat up north so I gotta lay low a minute," Barret explained. "The drillin' company I been workin' fo' been at odds wit Shinra. Shinra's been takin' they rigs, buyin' em out and claimin' em as they own. Turnin' em into sludge factories and whatnot -You know how they do," his face twisted in disgust. "Shinra don't change. They honest people up north, jus' tryna make a living. But then Shinra always gotta swoop in and fuck it all up, now, don't they?"  
The group listened intently, especially Tifa, who prayed the story wasn't going where she thought it might be.  
"The people I was drillin' wit, they got fed up when Shinra bought one a they rigs that ended up leakin' into the bay. All the local fisherman and fishing villages was screwed: The oil spilled out the shitty rig that Shinra never repaired, and it killed everything swimmin' in a twenty-mile radius, belly-up. On the news they said it was MY company that caused the spill -Not Shinra. Stupid fucks. They'd never own up to it, even now. Even after meteor and everything."

"So what happened?" Yuffie prodded.

"I'll tell you what happened: We blew them shits up! No oil for nobody! Burn it all!" Barret was boisterous now, flailing his arms. Same old Barret, all or nothing: if it can't be fixed, blow it up or burn it to the ground or do both if there's time.

So it was Barret after all. Tifa had a sinking feeling from the moment Tseng mentioned it. His antics were the reason Reno and the Turks were dispatched north.

It could never really be over, could it?

Barret continued to tell them all how he and five other mercenaries were hired by an anti-government organization based out of Mideel to blow up six of Shinra's recently acquired ocean oil rigs, and how they planned on hitting the oil refineries in the Corel area next.

This complicated everything. Tifa was now housing a wanted "terrorist", and the Turks knew exactly where to find him, once they figured out exactly who dun'nit. It wouldn't take long. It never did.

She and Reno would become enemies once more.

* * *

Despite the news, Tifa held her composure throughout the afternoon.

Yuffie departed around dinnertime, but promised to be back in two weeks to help out at the bar again. Tifa hugged her tight and promised they would catch up soon. Yuffie understood that what happened with Barret probably complicated things, but she had no clue to what extent.

They ordered pizza for dinner, and laughed and reminisced about old times. It felt good to spend time with Barret again, even though it came at a hefty price for Tifa.

"So where's Spike?" Barret broke the silence as they sat in the living room together, after the kids were tucked in for the night. The TV served as white noise in the background.  
"We kind of," Tifa picked imaginary lint from the sofa, "broke up," she finally admitted.

He snorted in response, "No way."  
He genuinely didn't believe her.

"Really, Barret. We're through," she said with an air of finality.

He was quiet for a moment. "Well shiiit," he finally said. "Where is he now?"

"Dunno," she replied. "He might be back at the church? I'm not sure."

Barret rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was obviously tired and didn't want to get into anything too emotional or in-depth.

They turned their attention to the television. The news came on, featuring video footage of the burning oil rigs.

Tifa grabbed the remote and quickly turned the TV off.

"Ok big guy," she said with a stretch. "I gotta get some shut-eye. You gonna be comfy here on the couch? Seems like I've been taking in vagrants all weekend!" she laughed softly.

"Vagrant? Who you callin' a vagrant? I ain't no homeless bag lady on the street...pushin' round a shoppin' cart... Whatchu talkin' bout vagrants fo'..." Barret mumbled to himself as he settled into the cushions of the couch.

Tifa smiled to herself as she clicked off the light and made her way down the hall to her room.

She checked her PHS again:  
Nothing.

She felt an overwhelming sense of dread as the overcast night sky finally opened up, dumping heavy rain upon the city. Lightning lit up the sky, and thunder clapped in the distance as she snuggled into her sheets.

She gave in to exhaustion as the city was washed clean again, if only for a little while.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_

_**~Veronica**_


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hi Everyone!_**

**_Here's another chapter!_**

**_With more secks, I promise!_**

**_FFVII and all of it's characters belong to Square-Enix. No money is being made off of this work of fiction._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_~Veronica S._**

* * *

Tifa's peaceful sleep was interrupted by a loud banging on her bedroom door.

"Tifa!"

It was Barret.

It was 6:15am.

The man knocked like a cop.

"Tifa girl, gitcho ass up! We gotta go!"

"What?" she sat up groggily and made her way to the door, throwing on Reno's t-shirt in the process .

She threw the door open in annoyance, "What are you yelling about?"

Barret motioned his thumb to point behind him as he spoke, "We gotta go." His eyes were wide and he meant business.

"Ok," she began. "Where, exactly? And why? I have to get the kids up for school."

"No time fo' school," he said with urgency. "They comin', too."

"Barret," she continued, concerned, "what's happening?"

"Get dressed, getcha gloves and gear, and getcho materia, too. We gotta go," he said as he hulked down the hall.

"Ay-yo Marlene! Rise 'n shine! You, too, Denzel. We goin' on a trip today," he said loudly as he banged on the kids' door. "We gonna have a whooole lotta fun. So get dressed! And pack a bag, too. We gon' be gone a bit."

Tifa rolled her eyes as she made her way back into her room. It was starting already. Shinra must have figured out that Barret was involved with the explosions. They were probably making their way to 7th Heaven at that very moment.

They had to hurry.

Twenty minutes later, Tifa met Barret and the kids in the garage. She was clad in her old fighting gear -Now that it was summer in the northern hemisphere, the heat could be quite unbearable. She preferred her tank top and miniskirt with suspenders at this arid time of year. She packed her heavier leather gear and a sweater, too, just in case they were headed to the Northern Continent. Barret hadn't given her any information, but she knew they wouldn't be back to Edge for quite some time. She hung a "Closed for Vacation" sign in the bar window, and made sure to lock everything up tight.

Barret revved the engine of their trusty utility truck, which made Marlene giggle. Denzel sat with his arms crossed, looking none too pleased with the 'get up and go' situation.

"All set," Tifa smiled as she hopped in. "Let's get a move on!"

Marlene pressed the garage door opener and they set off on their adventure.

"Where are we going, Daddy?" Marlene looked up at Barret as they entered the on-ramp to the cross-city highway. "We gonna go see Cid and Shera fo' a bit, babygirl," he grinned down at her.

Denzel perked up at this. Marlene clapped in excitement. Both children smiled and chatted about how much fun they had in Rocket Town the weekend prior.

Tifa leaned against the window, watching the scenery as Barret exited the city to enter the barren outskirts of Edge. As they sped through the wastelands, she could have sworn she saw a black dot in the distance - a helicopter, maybe? But it disappeared as soon as she noticed it.

She prayed that the Turks weren't on their tail just yet.

* * *

Within a half hour they reached the coastal highway. The Sierra was parked in the distance, waiting to be boarded. Barret eased the vehicle into the gravel as he slowly drove towards the massive airship. No matter how many times Tifa saw Sierra, she remained impressive. Cid was waiting for them on the bridge. He took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling as he waved down to the new arrivals. Barret let Marlene honk the horn as they drove around to the loading area. A few crew members in WRO uniforms directed Barrett to the vehicle ramp as he carefully drove the truck aboard the ship. They parked in the cargo bay before making their way up to the bridge.

Cid greeted the group in typical Cid fashion: "Morning fuckers! All hands on deck!"

"Cid!" the children cried in unison as they ran up and hugged his waist.

"Hey-hey, long time no see, kiddos," he said as he patted them both on their shoulders. "Looks like I was missed something fierce during our time apart," he smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he looked up at Tifa.

"Looks like it," Tifa smiled back, touched that the children had taken such a shining to the gruff pilot.

* * *

Cid maneuvered the airship back to Rocket Town where they left the children in Shera's care.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Tifa promised them both with a kiss on the forehead. "And Denzel," she placed a hand on his shoulder as he looked up at her with bright eyes, "we can call Cloud when we get back to Edge, ok?"

"Okay," he smiled softly.

She added, "Have fun, and don't torture Cid too much. Please."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best," Denzel teased.

"Good enough," she laughed.

Tifa and Barret picked Marlene up for one last hug goodbye, thanked Shera for her unending generosity and willingness to help, and followed Barret as they made their way back to the ship. Tifa spent the duration of the airship ride on the upper deck. She preferred the open air to the stuffy cabins below. She still had no idea where they were headed; Barret remained tight-lipped.

As they approached the Nibel Mountains, Tifa reminisced on her childhood with Cloud and all her friends in Nibelheim. She thought of all the days she spent practicing piano sonatas and training to be the future world's greatest fighter under the careful scrutiny of Master Zangan. She thought back fondly about how Cloud had saved her after her mother died, when she foolishly ran off into the treacherous mountain range. And of course, when he saved her again, after Sephiroth nearly sliced her in half and burned Nibelheim to ashes. She owed a lot to Cloud, she knew that. She loved him so very much, once upon a time. But they grew up and grew apart. They were both too broken to love each other in a healthy fashion.

Tifa scanned the horizon, spotting something in the distance:

A black Shinra helicopter.

Her heart sank, but before she could react, Cid's voice came over the loudspeaker: Tifa, we have company. You'd better get down here!

She made a dash for the bridge,. When she arrived, Barret was pacing back and forth, swearing up a storm.

"Shit I knew they was quick, but _damn_!" he stopped pacing to look at her apologetically.

"No problem. It's all under control. I got some tricks up my sleeves!" Cid called down to them as he literally rolled up his sleeves, gripping the wheel tight. He steered the ship dangerously close to the Nibel Mountains in an evasive maneuver.

The helicopter gained on them quickly, coming up right alongside the ship in an intimidation tactic. The Sierra may have been big, but she didn't have any defensive weapons. Even so, if the Shinra chopper opened fire on them, it wouldn't necessarily do major damage. That is, unless, they were equipped to launch multiple rockets at her.

A WRO cadet frantically ran onto the bridge, "Sir!"

"The fuck is it now, Watkins?!" Cid looked agitated. (Well, more so than usual.)

"Th-they're attempting to board the ship, Sir," Watkins replied nervously.

"AH fuckin' shitpiss!" Cid growled. "Ain't no Shinra dickheads gonna come aboard MY ship! - Higgins!" he commanded another cadet, while lighting a cigarette and grabbing his Venus Gospel, " -take the damn wheel! And for fuck's sake -DON'T CRASH!"

Tifa followed Cid and Barret to the top deck, followed by two WRO soldiers.

They were greeted with a surprise: Tseng and the new Turk, Vayda, had boarded the ship and stood a bit too casually before them.

Tifa froze in shock. She expected Reno and Rude. This was a complete surprise. She looked to her left to glimpse Elena manning the chopper in hot pursuit.

"Mister Wallace," Tseng began, speaking loudly over the chopper turrets and whipping winds, "We need you to come with us."

Barret snorted, readying his gun-arm, "You coulda jus' asked nicely."

Tifa caught the new female Turk -Vayda -staring at her with malice in her eyes. She was certainly beautiful. And young. She couldn't be older than 19 or 20. She had wavy, shoulder-length white-blonde hair, amber-colored eyes, pouty pink lips, sun-kissed skin, and a killer figure. She held two rods in her hands, ready to strike.

"If you do not come quietly, we're going to make this very painful for you," Tseng said in all seriousness.

"I don't do nothin' quietly, muthafucka'!" Barret yelled as he sprayed gunfire at Tseng. Anticipating that he would attack in such a fashion, Tseng had already cast a barrier spell which deflected Barret's bullets.

The two WRO soldiers opened fire on the chopper, but Elena counteracted with a hefty dose of heat from a flamethrower mounted to the top of the chopper, nearly knocking them overboard. '_That's new,'_ Tifa noted about the flamethrower.

The new Turk lunged at Tifa as a barrage of gunfire assaulted them from the chopper. Cid launched off the deck to grab hold of a landing skid in an attempt to disable Elena, or at least turn the chopper away from the ship. Meanwhile Barret and Tseng continued to shoot relentlessly at one another.

Tifa kicked Vayda off of her and crouched back in a defensive stance. Vayda lunged at her again, sending electric shocks through her whole body by slamming two metal rods into her torso.

"Take that, bitch!" Vayda spat in Tifa's face.

Whoa. Tifa saw red. She drop kicked the blonde Turk in the jaw, sending her flying across the deck. She caught herself before she flipped over the edge. This whole situation was the definition of precarious.

Tifa's counter-attack didn't too much, though, as the vicious blonde was immediately in her face once again. She was fast. Real fast. She grabbed Tifa by the hair and snapped her neck back to speak directly into her ear: "Reno's not the only one who can make you scream."

Tifa's eyes went wide as Vayda jabbed a mag rod in her chest, sparking it to ignite, which sent searing, white-hot pain throughout her entire body. The result, of course, was a blood-curdling scream that slipped past Tifa's lips.

"And you're not the only one who can make Reno scream, either," Vayda finished with a sultry giggle.

Tifa was paralyzed -Not only from the devastating electro-shocks, but from Vayda's equally-shocking words. Just before she dealt a final blow to Tifa, Cid arrived to tear her away. He used his spear to swing her into Tseng's back, knocking them both over.

"Get the hell off my ship!" he yelled as he cast Lightning III, causing both the airship and chopper to wobble dangerously.

The Sierra grazed the side of a mountain, causing large rocks to scatter over the top deck. Tseng and Vayda used this opportunity to retreat. They jumped aboard the chopper, but not before Vayda sent a live grenade flying in Tifa's direction. The chopper fell back before the grenade was set to blow.  
Tifa screamed and braced for the worst, but was saved yet again when Barret grabbed hold of her and jumped overboard.  
The blast sent flaming metal flying in all directions, as Barret held on to the side of the ship for dear life with one arm, and Tifa in the other. When the airship regained its course, Barret hauled both himself and Tifa back onto the freshly-shattered deck.

"You alive?" Cid's rugged voice floated over to them.

"Barely!" Barret yelled back. "Who the fuck was that new girl?" He asked Tifa. "The hell does Shinra need new Turks fo'?! What they plannin', anyway?!"

Tifa remained silent.

"Let's get ya inside ta get a look atcha, girl," Barret said softly as he carried Tifa back inside the ship towards the sick bay. Cid followed as he lit up another cigarette, looking anything but pleased at the current state of his beloved Sierra.

* * *

A healing potion helped Tifa recover somewhat, but she still remained silent as she and Barret sat in the sterile sick bay.

"Sorry I gotcha mixed up in alla 'dis," Barret said quietly as he rubbed his forehead. "Hopefully it'll blow over soon. Then we can get to work. Shinra's back to they old tricks. We gotta expose 'em. They not the benevolent company they tryna' make 'emselves out to be these days."

Tifa didn't like the sound of that. Nothing was going to "blow over". It was only going to get worse if Barrett planned on blowing up any more of Shinra's property.

Barret continued to rant about Rufus Shinra and how Solar and Wind Power was the 'way to go', but "If Shinra had they way, they'd prob'ly exploit that, too. Shinra always gotta ruin 'erethang they touch."

Tifa winced internally at that statement. She had no love for Shinra, either, but honestly, what would Barret think of her if her found out about what she'd been up to with Reno? Wold she be "ruined" in his eyes?

She loved Barret, he was one of her dearest friends, but could he ever really deal with Tifa "consorting with the enemy"?

She decided not to think about it any longer, and focused instead on formulating a text message to Yuffie:

"Hey, just a heads up, I may need ur help in the next few days. Shit hit the fan &amp; Barret is being pursued as a fugitive by Rufus and the Turks."

She hit send, and received a reply from Yuffie a few minutes later.

Yuffie, 8:29pm: "On it! Just let me know what you need!"

Before long, the ship landed on the outskirts of the Cosmo area.

Barret reluctantly informed Tifa that they would have to make the rest of the journey on foot. They said their good-byes to Cid as he took off to lead the Turks off of their trail.

The pair trekked through the night on Cosmo Canyon, warding off predators with fire and ice spells. Tifa was thankful that she packed a comfy sweater, because the desert canyon got pretty chilly once the sun set.

She and Barret barely spoke, as Tifa continued to brood over what Vayda had said to her:  
" And you're not the only one who can make Reno scream, either!" -Her vile words echoed throughout Tifa's mind, causing her an enormous amount of distress.

What had she done?

She should have figured Reno had slept with the beautiful young recruit. - She even fought like Reno, with similar weapons and speed.

Tifa felt so stupid. What had she been doing? Her lonely heart ached for a connection, so she was duped by a wolf in disguise. She always knew Reno was bad news, but she let herself get swept up in his passion anyway. Now she would have to suffer the consequences for it.

She had left her children and her responsibilities to run off with the enemy. She never felt so disgusted with herself.

"Jus' like old times, huh girl?" Barret smiled in her direction, still oblivious to her distress. "Man, this place brings me back," he reminisced as he looked skyward, breathing in the fresh canyon air. Even in the middle of the night, the clear sky lit the way with an ethereal blue glow. Cosmo Canyon was an ancient, magical place. Everything about it had a 'sacred' feel.

Tifa was snapped out of her self-loathing by the familiar smell of burning oil: They had arrived at the summit. She and Barret ascended the stairs to be greeted by a sleepy-looking guard at the top. He immediately let them pass when he realized who they both were.  
"Welcome, warrior friends of Nanaki," he said with valor as he stepped aside, stifling a yawn.

"I'm beat," Barret said with a yawn of his own. "Let's got some sleep. We can find Red in the morning. We gonna need him."

With that, they headed straight for the Shildra Inn: Home of The Cosmo Candle. After paying the desk attendant for their rooms, Barret stayed behind for a nightcap at the Bar while Tifa climbed up to her quarters. Upon entering the room, she dropped her knapsack on the bed and walked out to the rickety wooden "balcony" -which was more of a makeshift entryway with a tall ladder attached to the end of it. She pulled back a tattered curtain to reveal a stunning view. The heavens were so clear from Cosmo Canyon, and the sheer beauty of it all took her breath away. She certainly loved this place. She felt lucky to be here, even though it was under less than ideal circumstances.

She turned back to her simple room which held a carved wooden bed, a small dresser, and a small washroom with a large metal tub off to the side. The entire room was lit by two archaic oil lamps on the wall.

She extracted her PHS from her pack to check for any more missed calls or messages.

One new message.  
Reno, 12:44am:  
::Her breath hitched::  
It was a picture of the exterior of the Shildra Inn, and when Tifa zoomed in, she saw herself on the balcony.

Tifa dropped her phone and froze.

_What now?_

Before she had time to form a plan, she heard a slight rustling outside.

"R-Reno?" She called softly.

"No, it's Heidegger, back from the dead, Gyaaa-ha-ha!" she heard Reno's familiar accent from beyond the doorway.

Tifa stifled a laugh as he entered her room from the darkness. Her emotions began to swirl once he stepped into the orange glow of the lamp light. His handsome features were somehow amplified whenever he was near fire.

He whistled, "Nice digs. This must have cost a fortune," as he eyed up the meager room.

"Not everybody lives on a Shinra salary," she said, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Yeah that must suck," Reno bantered back.

And then they were quiet. Tifa shifted nervously, avoiding eye-contact.

"How did you get in here?" she inquired.

Reno turned to look back in the direction he came, "I, uh, climbed," - then turned back to her, placing his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels.

"No, I mean, how did you get into the village? The entrance is guarded," she said.

"Oh you mean Sleepy?" Reno smiled. "Yeah he deserves a promotion," he chuckled softly. "-Waltzed right by him. I think he was dreaming of you," he finished with a wink and a smile.

Tifa scoffed and turned away slightly, still refusing to look at him. She went silent as she began unpacking her knapsack and removing her gloves and armor.

"I heard there was a fight," Reno broke the silence, remaining where he stood. "I hope Vayda didn't get you too bad. She fights dirty," Reno said as he cocked his head to the side with his hands still in his pockets in an attempt to read her.

"Yeah," Tifa replied, closing up her knapsack to look up at him, "Just like you."

"Well, I DID train her," he said with an air of pride. "I'm sure my style rubbed off on her. You just happened to be in her way, which is too bad."

"Yeah she said something about that," Tifa held her arms around her midsection, as though she needed to protect herself.

"Oh?" Reno said, taking note of her defensiveness.

"She said," Tifa began, fighting back tears, "She said – 'You're not the only one who can make Reno scream.' "

That simple statement sent uncomfortable shock waves crashing throughout the tiny room.

Reno tossed his head back in annoyance, turning away from her, "Aw _**COME ON**__ Vayda_, **FOR FUCK'S SAKE**!" he yelled at no one in particular as he kicked a bedpost in anger, moving the whole bed over a few inches.

Tifa stood still, wincing slightly at his display of rage, stealing a quick glance at him, but then decided to look at the floor instead.

Reno placed his hand on his hip, while rubbing his mouth and then pushing a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Reno," she began, taking deep breaths, tears threatening to spill over now, "I can't."

He turned and looked at her, afraid to touch her.

"You can't _what_?" He asked pleadingly, still seething about what he heard.

"I can't keep doing whatever it is we've been doing. Everything is just so messed up," she brought an edge of her sleeve up to her face to dry her eyes before the tears that pooled began to stream down her cheeks.

"Tifa," he began cautiously, "Vayda was... She and I, well, she was a bad decision on my part. A _REALLY_ bad decision."

Tifa laughed bitterly and looked away, focusing on the stone wall now.

Reno looked at her as he continued, "Vayda, she – back when she was recruited -She wanted me. And I let her have me. And that was that. But then I moved on and then she didn't. And now I have to work with her. And she's crazy. And every day fuckin' sucks." He emphasized the word 'sucks' by dropping his voice an octave.

Tifa watched him closely now.

"Well, every day sucks a little less lately, because there's this other girl who I like a whole lot more. I like her enough to abandon my post and risk getting my ass thrown in the 'penalty box' back at headquarters," he laughed nervously, referring to the sensory deprivation room meant for solitary confinement.

Tifa felt flush, but continued her silent protest.

Reno hung his head, but immediately snapped back up to look her directly in her eyes, "You're all I think about, Tifa. Ever since Costa del Sol, you've been running amok inside my thick skull," he pointed at his head, tapping his left temple. "…Mostly naked," he added with a lopsided grin. "And to think I left poor Rude asleep all alone in the chopper down near Gongaga -just so I could catch a glimpse of you. He's really pissed at me, you know. …He knows. About us. But I couldn't fuckin' stay away, Teef. I can't stay away from you. It's like my limbs didn't listen to my brain when it said to go back and do my damn job once I started climbing up here…" he trailed off.

"So, what, then?" Tifa intervened. "Were you and Rude going to ambush us, too?"

"That's the plan," he stated simply. "We're taking Wallace. That's just the way it has to be…"

Tifa huffed with weariness. She didn't want to fight. She didn't want to be at odds with Shinra anymore. Why did everything always have to be so complicated? She got a handle on her tears. There was no point in crying. Not now, anyway.

"You're not taking Barret," she finally said.

"Whatever you say, doll," he replied quietly, hands in his pockets again.

Tifa deliberated for a short period of time before taking a step closer. Reno looked up in surprise as she lightly placed both hands on his chest. "Kiss me," she breathed as she looked up into his pale blue eyes.

Reno kissed Tifa as though he needed her to breath. He held her head with his right hand and roughly pressed her body against him with his left. Tifa sighed as he ravished her neck and rubbed her backside, pushing her into his hips. She felt his hardness poking against her lower belly. He slipped her suspenders down before she snaked her arms around his neck. She licked his clavicle as he rubbed her arms and upper back. They kissed again, their tongues playing with each other boldly as he dipped her low. He hungrily licked and kissed her chest beneath her collar bone, as she softly gasped his name.

Reno lifter her up and placed her on the bed. He helped her slip her shirt over her shoulders, exposing her ample breasts. She slipped out of her miniskirt, shoes, and socks as he slipped out of his own clothes. Once they were both nearly naked, save for his dark boxers and her white panties, he joined her in laying sideways, facing each other on the bed. Tifa studied his face as he traced his fingers down her side, fascinated at the goosflesh that formed in response to his touch over her hip and midsection.

Tifa giggled, "That tickles!"

He thoughtfully looked her up and down. "Why are you so beautiful?" Reno said in awe as his hand rested on her hip.

Tifa just shrugged her shoulders and hummed "I dunno," as he began to knead her hip and thigh with his strong, calloused fingers.

She seized this opportunity to gently push Reno onto his back. She expertly straddled him and began to move her hips over his own. He gasped as he watched her above him, "God-damn that's hot." His hands found their way up her toned stomach to cup the undersides of her breasts. He leaned forward to take a nipple into his mouth, causing her to squeak softly in pleasure.

Reno's hands moved to her backside, as he slipped his fingers under the waist of her panties, shifting them downwards as he lightly slapped, and then gripped her backside.

"Off," he stated simply.

Tifa shifted off of him leaning back on her arms as he peeled her panties off and discarded them. He stood from the bed and discarded his boxers, exposing his fully-hardened cock before climbing back on top of her. They kissed passionately as he pressed her soft form into the mattress. "You're perfect," he breathed in-between kisses. Tifa snaked a hand in between them, gripping his cock and grazing her thumb over the head, causing him to grit his teeth.

"Is that what you want?" he asked with a smirk, to which she nodded 'yes'.

"I'll give you whatever you want, babe," he rubbed her bottom lip with his thumb. "I'm yours for the taking."

He shifted his hips to settle between her thighs, entering slowly, filling her up entirely.

They gasped in unison. Each time they fucked, it was like a brand new experience, but this time something had shifted. Tifa felt it in her soul: This time was different. She couldn't quite explain it. She felt a swelling sense of completion, like now that he was inside of her, she felt whole. He moved within her deeply, savoring every second.

They didn't move at such a frantic pace this time, and their kisses were longer-lasting.

They flipped so that Tifa was straddling him again. She rode him with her arms rested above her head, letting him drink in her perfect form as she took what she wanted from him. She moved up and down in wanton bliss while he gripped her strong thighs. She could be unbridled around him. She didn't have to be the demure girl who put everyone else's needs before her own. With Reno she could be sexual, she could be honest, she could be who she really wanted to be.

"How should I make you come tonight?" he asked as she continued to ride his cock. "-How do you want it, babe?" He rubbed up and down her thighs.

She stopped moving and leaned down to whisper in his ear: "I love when you fuck me from behind. I want it. Really. Deep," she giggled softly.

"I like that," he sat up as she dismounted him, kissing him quickly as she got into position, face down, ass up. He gripped her hip with one hand as he guided his cock with the other. Tifa 'Oooh'd' as he slipped back inside of her. Reno was about to move, but she surprised him by backing up onto his cock. She worked it as she pumped back and forth causing him to throw his head back and moan. They worked in tandem: He pitched and she caught.

"Oh God YES", she cried as she squeezed her eyes shut tight, harshly gripping she sheets in front of her.

"That's right! Fuckin' get it!" Reno nearly whooped as he watched Tifa get what she wanted.

They continued to slam into each other, winding each other up like corks about to pop.

"Fuckin'-A!" Reno gripped her ass and bent her spine downward into the bed as he took over, slamming into her with positively no restraint.

"Oh GOD I'm coming!" Tifa spoke in a deep octave, almost a growl, as her whole body became electrified in pure bliss, throwing her head up automatically in a final scream before she collapsed.

Reno pulled his cock out to cum all over her backside. Her pussy had become so tight from her own orgasm that it was almost painful for him to remain inside of her as he came. "Oh god, oh holy god, holy fuck," he panted as his cock spurted all over her ass cheeks and lower back.

Reno hooked his hands into Tifa's armpits, hoisting up her limp form, turning her around to kiss him again.

"Looks like you need a bath," he broke the kiss and said to to her, still out of breath, "How come you always get so dirty around me, girl?" he laughed.

Tifa hid her face in his neck. She wasn't going to answer that one.

He scooped her up and stalked off to the bathroom.

Tifa couldn't help but laugh internally at their near-repeat of two weekends prior.

Only this time, everything was different.

* * *

**_To be continued…._**

**_~Veronica_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updates. It's been a super busy summer so far! **_

_**Thanks again for all the lovely reviews. Hold tight, because the story is about to start moving pretty fast after this short chapter. There's lots more action on the way ;)**_

_**~Veronica**_

* * *

The scent of burning embers and lamp oil filled Tifa's nostrils as she transitioned into consciousness. The dim morning light peeked into her rented room through tattered curtains. She realized quickly that a warm body was behind her in the bed. After rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she shifted to her opposite side to see a fully-awake Reno. He was sitting up against the headboard, flipping a cigarette between his fingers in contemplation.

He had stayed.

"Wakey, wakey, Eggs and bakey," he said with a lopsided grin.

"Eggs and bakey?" she snorted slightly, rubbing her eye again with the back of her hand. She sat up, attempting to hide her nude form with the rust-colored bedsheets that matched the cheesy southwest decor of the room. Reno had already put his boxers back on and was just sitting quietly beside her.

She flashed back to the night prior.

_After their tryst they had shared a bath, which was somewhat romantic. The pair laid together in silence, her head against his chest as they enjoyed the warm water until they both got sleepy. Reno helped dry her off as he led her back to the bed where they snuggled up and drifted off to sleep._

_Her last thought before sleep overtook her was that she probably wouldn't even see him in the morning._

"Man, I really don't feel like hiking back down to Gongaga. I hope Rude moved the chopper a little closer at least," he said as he placed his cigarette behind his ear. He swiftly got up and pulled his pants back on.

"Why did you stay?" Tifa asked abruptly.

Reno stopped mid-belt buckle to look up at her.  
"Oh am I not welcome anymore? Are you throwing me out, Mssss. Lockhart? I was just about to leave anyway," he smiled as he finished buckling his belt. He picked up his shirt, slipped it on, and buttoned it up halfway (in classic Reno fashion).

He had dodged her question. Which was also classic Reno fashion.

His PHS buzzed and he flipped it open. Aqua eyes scanned the screen quickly, then put it back in his pocket just as quickly as he had whipped it out. Reno climbed halfway onto the bed, crawling up to Tifa's face, to which she recoiled slightly, making sure that her bed sheet remained secure around her nude body. He placed a hand on the delicate junction of her shoulder and neck, while the other held him steady above her on the bed. He stole a farewell kiss from her.

"I won't go easy on you," he whispered into her mouth. "I can't really speak for Rude, though," Reno grinned knowingly as he straightened up. "He still has a soft spot for you. He'll probably pull his punches like he always does -but as you know I'm ...not so nice," he lit his cigarette and took a drag.  
Tifa just stared at him with wide doe-eyes.  
"And don't even _try_ **that** look on me either," he pointed his left index and middle fingers at her while balancing his cigarette between each fingertip, with his right eyebrow raised.

Tifa's expression shifted to one of stealth and sneakiness. A small smile curved at the edge of her lips in response. Reno wanted a fight? She'd give him one, all right. She'd run him into the ground _on principle._

"I'll see you at the bottom, Sweets," he said over his shoulder as he disappeared behind tattered curtains.

* * *

An hour later, Tifa met Barrett for breakfast at the inn.

"Ooo-WEE! You hear that couple goin' at it last night? Musta been some newlyweds," Barrett slammed his mug of thick Cosmo coffee down in a fit of laughter.

Tifa blushed furiously as she sipped some juice. Barrett probably thought it was just because she was being "modest", no doubt. She would honestly die if Barrett found out that she and the infamous Reno of The Turks were the culprits; That they were the degenerates making all those carnal noises last night.

"Man, I remember them days. Now I'm too old to even get outta bed in the mo'nin, _**knowmsayin'**_?" He laughed boisterously.

"I didn't hear anything," Tifa smiled innocently as she passed him a basket of tortillas.

"_Damn_, girl! You musta been next to dead, then -These people was hollin' like they was dyin' in a fire!" He laughed some more.

She was "in a fire" all right. Reno was the definition of a firestorm.

Tifa sighed, rolled her eyes, and laughed along with Barrett as he discussed the loud lovemakers from the night prior with some patrons who sat down at the table next to them.

Still, she was mortified.

* * *

After breakfast, Tifa sat patiently by the ever-burning Cosmo Candle while Barrett met privately with Red XIII. While she waited, she stared into the fire in meditative contemplation.

All she saw within the flames was Reno.

_How did they get here?_  
_How did they go from foes to friends to lovers? - And seemingly back to foes again?_  
_What was the point of it all?_

All she ever knew was that she wanted to be with Cloud. But now - everything was different. If you asked her five years ago if she could ever sit peacefully in a room with a Shinra employee, her answer would be a whole-hearted "No-fucking-way."

But now? Well, that was evident. But what to do about these feelings swirling inside? Reno made her heart skip a beat, made her tummy flutter, made her smile and laugh and do bold, naughty things. He made her moan in ecstasy and want nothing more than to have him buried deep inside her. She knew if she kept going wherever it was that she was going with him, she was going to get burned. Bad.

So why, then -Why couldn't she stop?

"You're looking well, Tifa," she turned to see that Red XIII had approached with Barrett in tow.

"Red," she smiled warmly as she stood to greet him.

Red was such an interesting creature. Tifa admired his exotic beauty and vast wealth of ancient knowledge. And he had the softest fur she ever touched. Oh! And the signature flame at the end of his tail; That was always intriguing.

"Barrett tells me you had an altercation with the Turks. I am glad to offer my assistance, should they come after you again," he bowed slightly.

"Thanks, Red," she smiled.

"Barret has requested my assistance with another matter. It seems that Shinra is taking global energy matters into their own hands yet again. We have been watching them closely with the help of our friends in Mideel. The balance of the planet has been upset once more. This time, they are poisoning the planet with it's own life blood; With oil."

Red motioned for Tifa and Barrett to sit with him by the Cosmo Candle.  
Tifa sat with her knees to her chest, listening intently as Red continued: "The mako energy produced by the planet is it's spiritual energy, the invisible net of being that flows through all living things. The oil, however, is the "blood" which carries nutrients throughout Gaia. Extracting it in small amounts is somewhat harmless, but at the rate Shinra is obtaining rigs and pumping oil out, we could be looking at another potential global catastrophe," Red hung his head in sadness. "It seems that the WRO is unsympathetic to this reality, for their primary objectives are curing Geostigma and finding and utilizing alternative energy sources. In essence: Oil. Their orders come from Reeve and ultimately, Rufus Shinra. Rufus is the silent primary investor of the WRO, so his hands are in everything."

"Shit don't change -Only gets worse," Barrett muttered under his breath.

"A pipeline is already in the beginning stages of development. It will stretch from the oil fields of the north, along the sea bed, to Kalm, and ultimately to Edge, all the way down to Junon. This could be catastrophic for sea life in the north and Mid-Oceania, as well as for life on the Eastern continent. The vegetation will wither, nothing will thrive. In due time, it will all become a dead zone."

"So what are you planning to do about it?" Tifa leaned forward with her elbows resting on her knees.

"We gonna expose 'em!" Barrett clenched his fist.

"How?" she turned to Barrett as a few strands of hair fell in front of her eyes.

"Rufus is appearing in Junon for the first time in five years to announce his new energy pipeline plan. His speech will be broadcast globally.  
We have footage of mass-deaths of fish, whales, and other sea life washing ashore near Bone Village. All of the creatures are completely covered in oil. What's worse is that many of the organic plant monsters that roam the northern continent thrive on oil, so the monster population may explode any time now. We need to air this footage and expose this information so that the world can see what is really happening," Red said with resolve.

"We gotta get to Junon by Saturday," Barrett rubbed his face with a large hand. "I ain't gonna standby and have my legacy tarnished again! It ain't right. I know that now. We can't keep bussin' up the planet the way we been doin'. Diggin' up oil is jus' as bad as what we used to do when we was mining up coal an' mako. I see that now," Barrett hung his head in shame. "It's even filthier..."

The three friends sat around the Candle a bit longer as they discussed their plan to get to Junon.

"We must avoid Cid and The Sierra for now. We do not know which WRO soldiers are loyalists to Shinra at this point in time. We must be very careful. There is a young pilot who lives in Gongaga who may assist us," Red offered up.

Tifa steeled herself against the inevitable. There was no avoiding a battle with Reno now.

"There is one other thing," Red continued. Tifa looked up at him with the utmost alertness.  
"It seems The Turks have been increasing their numbers. This is another sure sign that Rufus Shinra is planning something undesirable from our standpoint. We may run into more resistance before we get to Junon," he finished as his flame tail whipped behind him.

You didn't have to tell Tifa twice. What had she gotten herself into?  
'_You should have never played with fire, Tifa...'_ she mentally scolded herself.

Her PHS buzzed as the Trio stood to gather their gear and make the trek down through the canyon to Gongaga.

She flipped it open to reveal a text:  
Reno, 12:20pm:  
"sorry for what i'm gonna put you through babe - i'm the bad guy don't forget".

What did he mean? He really thought she couldn't defend herself? She schooled his ass many times before. She may have been out of practice, but she was still one of the worlds greatest martial artists. _The nerve!_ She'd show him she wasn't just one of his weak little playthings...! But honestly she wasn't surprised at his display of cockiness. It was just who and how he was.

"Let's get a move on!" Barrett hollered to Tifa as he and Red made their way towards the village steps.

She tightened her gloves and cracked her knuckles: _'Sorry, indeed, Reno dear. Sorry for underestimating me.'_

* * *

The arid Gongaga forest was still a bit challenging to navigate, but not nearly so difficult as it had been the last time they trekked through it -And not to mention that it was the place where Tifa met Yuffie for the very first time. She smiled to herself in fond remembrance of a younger, more headstrong version of Yuffie; The willful materia thief, the ninja who had a lot to prove to herself and and the entire nation of Wutai.

Tifa mused that it was strange to be on such a journey without their fearless leader: Without Cloud.  
She wondered where he had been. It wasn't so surprising that he hadn't checked in at all after their last meeting. It hadn't ended well, to say the very least. But she hoped that wherever he was, that he was okay, and that he wasn't still too angry with her.

"Fuckin' blood suckers!" Barret huffed as he slapped a mosquito from his neck. "I hate this place jus' as much as the last time we rolled through."

"Gongaga is where Zack Fair grew up," Tifa said as she turned to Red. "Aeris was so sad when she met his parents. They had no clue. None of us did..." Tifa trailed off.

"I miss her," Red nudged Tifa's hand with his paw, prompting her to scratch behind his ears.

"I know. We all do," Tifa smiled sadly.

She could never really hate Aeris. She was always jealous of the kind-hearted flower girl and her innate ability to make everyone fall in love with her. It was easy to see why Zack and Cloud and even Tseng had fallen in love with her, as she overheard from Rude and Reno gossiping in this very jungle a few years prior. Aeris was a beacon of pure love. She was kind to everyone she ever met, and she was especially kind to Tifa, for Aeris could sense Tifa's distress over Cloud. The two girls had an unspoken understanding that neither one of them would make a move on Cloud while the other one was still in the picture. Unfortunately for Tifa, Aeris remained "in the picture" even after her untimely death.

_'Can you see me now, sweetie?'_ Tifa sent a message to her fallen sister into the void. _'What do I do? What am I doing? I'm sure if you were here you'd give me a good shake and talk to me like my mom, just like you always did. I miss you...'_

Tifa stopped in her tracks to witness a large pink and white orchid spontaneously blooming from a moss-covered tree overhead.

It was mesmerizing.

Aeris was listening.

"Thanks," Tifa mouthed silently to the omnipresent flower girl with a small smile.

What Tifa didn't see, however, was that the flower quickly withered and died as she continued her trek through the forest behind Red and Barrett.

Her PHS rang. It was Marlene.

"Oh! Marlene is calling," she called to the boys up ahead. They stopped hiking so she could answer. Tifa sat on a log and flipped open her phone. "Hey, kiddo, what's up?" she smiled as she put the phone to her ear.

"Tifa?! Oh thank god-" a frantic woman's voice came from the other end of the line.

"Shera?" Tifa was disconcerted by the urgency in her voice.

"Tifa, _oh GODS! They TOOK her!_ They took Marlene!" Shera sobbed. "I tried to stop them but-"

"Who? Who took her? Took her where?!" Tifa panicked. Her heart dropped, and then her stomach lurched.

She already knew the answer.

"**The Turks!**" Shera cried in horror.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Thanks for the latest reviews and special thanks to my new followers =) **_

_**We have a little while before any more smut, but hang tight gang. It'll be back soon. -Absence makes the heart grow fonder or some shit like that.**_

_**Onward and upward!**_

_**~Veronica**_

* * *

The trio raced to Gongaga with little time to spare.

Shera informed Tifa that Elena and another female Turk (Vayda, no doubt) forcibly took Marlene from Cid and Shera's back yard while she helped Shera plant flowers and pick weeds around her vegetables.

That's all Tifa needed to hear to get her blood boiling.

Marlene was innocent, just a child who got mixed up in a twisted adult world.

-Guilt by association -Bait for Barrett and Avalanche -It wasn't fair.

Tifa was absolutely _enraged_ -Angry with the Turks, with Reno, with _stupid fucking Vayda_, and with Barrett for getting them all into this situation. She knew it was all for the greater good, but hadn't she and her "family" been through enough already?  
She was tired of it. Sick and tired of it all. And now they had Marlene, her little love. Only God knew what sadistic torments Vayda might be putting her through at that very moment...

"Man, they already _**know**_ _what it is!_ Imma shoot they heads off when I see 'em. Ain't nobody gonna touch my Marlene without me bringin' the **pain **on they asses!" Barret hollered as he ran, shaking his fist at the sky.

* * *

They reached Gongaga village by mid-afternoon.  
All was quiet; No enemies in sight. That, of course, didn't mean that Shinra wasn't engaging in guerrilla tactics; Hiding in the jungle, ready to strike when their guard was down. Tifa remained alert, scanning the trees and brush for any anomalies.

"Where do you think they took Marlene? Back to Shinra HQ?" Red inquired.

"They probably took her to Junon in an attempt to lure us," Tifa said with a sigh. "And if that's the case, they probably already knew our plan. That much should be obvious," she shot daggers at Barrett with her crimson eyes.

"We gonna get her back," Barret said quietly as he hung his head in sorrow.

"At what price?!" Tifa hollered. "You know what they're gonna _do,_ Barrett! They're gonna barter her for YOU! They have your little girl! God only knows what they're doing to her," she choked back a sob.

Barret's eyes began to tear up, too.  
"We gonna get her back! We gonna get her back and expose Rufus. Ain't nobody gonna take me. We gonna get her back..." He trailed off, whispering his mantra to himself as they wandered over to the hangar on the edge of the now-defunct Gongaga reactor.

The small hangar looked relatively new in comparison to the destroyed reactor that stood behind it. A man busied himself with the engine of a seaplane atop a flatbed truck as they approached.

"Hello?" Tifa called to him in a sing-song voice, to which he instantly perked up, only to steal a sideways glance at the approaching trio. When he saw Tifa, however, he jolted upright -subsequently smacking his head on the engine hood.  
"Oh jeez! Ow!" He winced as he rubbed his bruised cranium.  
Tifa giggled softly, but composed herself out of respect.

The pilot was a handsome man with tan skin, spiky black hair, stark blue eyes, and a chilling scar down the entire length his left cheek. He wore a dark grey mechanic's jumpsuit and shiny black combat boots. Tifa noted that his features were native to Gongaga, and that he somewhat resembled Zack Fair -just a bit taller and thinner.

He jumped down from the flatbed and met them halfway, wiping his hands with an oil rag.

"Please excuse me. I'd like to shake your hand but mine are a bit grimy at the moment," he smiled at Tifa, ignoring the large man with the metal arm and the curious orange feline who stood behind her. "It's not often that such an enchanting female creature should grace me with her presence out here in the middle of the jungle," he spoke eloquently, with the tinge of a Gongagan accent.

'Smooth operator' Tifa rolled her eyes internally, but still kept her composure.

"My name is Byron. I'm the local mechanic. How can I be of service to you?" He spoke to Tifa and only Tifa, which caused Barrett to let out a huff of aggravation.

Barret cut in before Tifa could respond, "We gotta get to Junon! We ain't got time fo' chit chat!"

"Barrett!" Tifa shushed him, then turned back to their 'ticket out of there'. "We need a pilot to get us to the Eastern Continent. Can you help us out?" Tifa put on the charm, smiling as she twirled a loose strand of hair around her fingertips.

"Junon?" This peaked Byron's interest. "Are you going to see President Shinra speak? Everyone is making a mad dash to the coast to catch a glimpse of him. I heard he was deformed after Weapon ransacked Junon five years ago. I wonder what all of the hub-bub is all about...?" He finished wiping down his hands, threw the rag over his shoulders and extracted a pair of glasses from his chest pocket. His glasses gave him a more sophisticated look.

Tifa found it hard to believe that this man was simply a mechanic. He could have been a model! Or a clean-cut businessman. He was too handsome to be hidden away in the jungle repairing vehicles. Even his mannerisms were too high-class for a service-industry-worker. She knew that her pattern of thought was rude and presumptive, but something just didn't add up.

_'What's this guy's deal?'_ she wondered. She couldn't help but feel there was a dangerous air about him -behind his friendly demeanor.

Red cut in, "We are intrigued at what President Shinra has to say after all this time. We will be spectating as close as you can take us, and we would like to arrive as early as possible to secure accommodations."

The talking feline surprised Byron. "He spoke!" his eyes went wide as he took a step back.

"Yes, this is Nanaki; possibly the last of his kind. I'm Tifa and this is Barrett," she said as she motioned towards her friends. "And we could really use your assistance if you can get us across the ocean," she smiled softly.

"The last of your kind?" Byron paid close attention to Red now.

"Yes," Red replied sullenly, dropping his head. "At least, I think I am. I hope not."

"I hope not either," Byron said with genuine concern. "You are very unique -with beautiful fur and features. I've never imagined an animal could talk, either! Except for talking mogs and chocobos in fairytales," he smiled.

"Thank you for the kind words," Red looked up again, "but we don't have much time. Can you fly us there? Or do you know someone who can?"

"Oh I can fly you," Byron crossed his arms. " But I require payment in advance. Fifteen hundred gil. An additional five hundred if the weather is choppy. But I may overlook that since I'll have such a lovely passenger to transport," he grinned as he looked back at Tifa.

She blushed and dug her boot into the sand. Man, he was handsome.

Barret made a displeased noise in the background and crossed his arms too, shifting on his feet, "Aight den, when do we go?" He huffed, "We ain't got all day to talk about what's '_beautiful'_ and _'lovely'_," he said gruffly.

Byron straightened up. "My apologies, is this your husband?" he asked Tifa.

Tifa waved her hand dismissively, "No -no, Barrett is a very good friend. He's like a brother to me. We're all just -good friends who want to see The President!" she smiled a little too wide, and immediately wanted to slap herself for the beyond-fake, cringe-worthy lie that came from her mouth at the end.

"Ah. Good," Byron smiled. "We can depart in an hour. We'll have to take the flatbed to the shore to unload the seaplane. We will depart from there."

* * *

The '_three friends who wanted to see the President'_ used the time they were given to head into town for supplies. While Barrett acquired new materia, protective bands, and ammo, Red did some intel work, sitting outside of the inn, listening to passers-by for any information about what was happening in Junon that weekend. Tifa bought some dried meats, fruits, and crackers to fill their pouches, and then ducked into an alleyway to use her PHS. She flipped it open to reveal two texts:

Reno, 1:18pm: "We're on our way to the coast. You know where I'll be. She'll be fine I promise."

Cid, 1:45pm: "Call me when you can. I want to help."

She let out a puff of air. She formulated a response to Reno, telling him to 'call her, please'. She was surprised when a text came back immediately stating that the PHS subscriber she was trying to reach was no longer in service -with a Shinra confidentiality disclaimer attached to the bottom in italics.

Tifa let out a small scream and kicked a wooden barrel next to her into oblivion.

She heard a loud whistle and turned to see Byron with on hand on his hip and another holding a wrapped sandwich from the small shop that they stood next to. Her hand immediately went to her mouth as she gasped, taken aback.

"Not such a delicate flower, huh?" Byron laughed. "Remind me to never piss you off," he smiled boyishly.

Tifa laughed a little at that. "Sorry," she said as she walked towards him.

"A fight with your boyfriend?" he arched an eyebrow.

"Something like that," she said as she continued to walk past him. "Are we ready to go?" she said over her shoulder.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied as he followed. "So no boyfriend, then?"

"It's complicated," she continued walking.

"Hmm," she heard him from behind her. "I can work with that."

"Oh can you?" she teased.

"Mm-hmm," he picked a tropical flower from a wild vine on the side of a building and presented it to her from behind, sneaking it over her shoulder and into her line of sight. She stopped walking and took it gently from his hand. She smiled, sniffed its fragrance, and placed it behind her ear.

"You're a very lovely lady, Tifa," he cooed.

She smiled. He was certainly a handsome charmer, but her heart was mixed up enough already. He didn't make her breath catch in her throat or her heart speed up the way it did around Reno, even if he was being a colossal jerk at the moment.

They needed to get to Junon. They had to get Marlene back.

"Thank you. But we really have to go now."

"Roger that," he brushed a hand down her arm as he led her back towards the hangar, meeting Barrett and Red along the way.

* * *

Riding in a seaplane was an exhilarating experience. No matter how often she was in the air, on the Highwind, Sierra, in helicopters, Tifa never grew tired of it.

_"I'll should take you up in the chopper sometime. We can go to the hot springs near Icicle," Reno said as they laid in the aftermath of their lovemaking. He held her from behind, nuzzling his nose in her shoulder._ _"We can spend the whole weekend naked together getting hammered at the Inn."_

Tifa blushed slightly at the sudden flashback. She noticed Byron looking at her as he maneuvered over the water. She couldn't help but think that she was flying with the wrong person. And that she had been flying with the wrong person her whole life.

"Where we gonna land 'dis turkey?" Barrett hollered from behind.

"There's an air taxi port on the west side of Junon. I'll be dropping you off there," Byron hollered back over the roar of the engine and propellers. "I'll be coming into town, too. I have some business of my own to take care of."

_"Hang on Marlene, we'll be there soon,"_ Tifa whispered as the remains of the enormous cannon at Junon came into view on the horizon.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**'Ello again! Thanks to all my new followers. Reviews are appreciated, but please be kind with any feedback.**_

_**Now, I know you're all wondering: "C'mon Veronica, where's the secks?"**_

_**It's an important question, I completely understand. It'll be back. Just not yet.**_

_**Soon, my lovelies. Soon.**_

_**Familiar characters belong to Square-Enix, not me. No money is being made from this work of fiction. Yadda yadda.**_

_**The first part of this chapter is from Marlene's POV. **_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

The bickering voices of adults greeted Marlene as she floated back into consciousness. There was a loud hum and her ears had popped, creating a bit of a muffled effect as she tried to hear what was being said.

The last thing she remembered was tending lilies in the garden with Shera, and wrestling with some stubborn weeds around the peas, carrots, and string beans.

_"These blooms are from bulbs that Cloud gave us from Aeris's church," Shera smiled fondly, wiping the sweat from her brow as the summer sun beat down upon them. "They really thrive in this soil. It's amazing since there's so little nutrients in the soil in this polluted little town."_

_"I could tell. These flowers are bigger than all the rest," Marlene giggled. "Anything Aeris touched grew with love."_

_"How about we take a break for some lemonade?" Shera said to the young girl beside her._

_"I'd love some!" Marlene smiled back in approval._

_Lemons and citrus fruits were rare in Edge. Marlene loved citrus cakes and spiced teas from her time spent in Kalm, and she found that Shera had a fond-ness for them too. She and Cid were lucky enough to have lemon and lime trees on their property, so there was never a shortage of fresh produce at their quaint home in Rocket Town._

_Marlene continued to work while Shera prepared a tray of lemonade and chocolate cookies inside. Denzel had left with Cid for the day to test some new jet engine prototypes, so the girls tended the garden in between baking, cleaning, and organizing Shera's files and Cid's dusty blueprints._

_It had all happened very quickly._

_The black chopper approached and settled in the distance._

_Two females in suits exited the chopper and approached Marlene at lightning speed. Marlene recognized Elena, but the Turk with longer blonde hair was unfamiliar._  
_"That's the one! Grab her!" Elena ordered the other Turk as they hopped over the white picket fence._

_Marlene dropped her small garden shovel and readied herself to run. Before she could fully react, the unfamiliar Turk grabbed her, and everything went black._

"Did you use chloroform or seal materia?" Marlene heard a male voice. It sounded like Reno. She kept her eyes shut. She was wise enough to keep them unaware that she was awake. That way she could gather information (Children are always very good at this trick.)

"Chloroform -Do you even have to ask? You know how much I loathe materia. Give me chemicals and weapons and _chemical weapons_ over materia any day," a female voice fired back. "I considered using the stun gun, but I don't think that the president would appreciate if I accidentally fried her fragile little brain and nervous system. She should be out for a little while longer." She added, "Materia is _**so**_ unreliable, you know. Chloroform works. Everytime."

"That sounds familiar," the voice that sounded like a Reno's chuckled softly.

"We're meeting Rude on the executive helipad," a softer female voice interrupted. "Tseng is escorting the president to the club house. The others should arrive shortly."

"So this little brat belongs to the bitch who's ass I whooped?" the sharper-sounding female asked.

"Watch it," Reno warned.

"What? I did. And what does the president want with her anyway?"

"We're taking her in to be held for ransom. Her father is the one who's wanted for terrorism. We're taking him in exchange for her," he explained.

Marlene didn't like the sound of any of this.

"So is your new girlfriend her mom, then? Is that why you're so protective of her?" the female said with a snotty tone. "Is she married to that enormous oaf of a man and this is their kid?"

"She's not my girlfriend. And she's not married to Wallace. She takes care of the girl while Wallace is out lighting fires and blowing up Shinra property," Reno explained further.

"Well at least you're not fooling around with a married woman. Do you actually think that stupid bartender is prettier than me?" the female changed the subject.

"_Jesus fuck_, Vayda -could you just **NOT**?!" Reno hollered and the chopper swerved slightly.

"Well? **DO you?!**" she yelled back.

"I'm not doing this," he answered with an even voice now.

"Not doing what? It's a simple question, Reno! Why can't you answer it?!" she spat.

Marlene heard Reno growl in frustration.

"I know you were fooling around with her when we all went on vacation. You should have been spending time with **me**. That was the whole point! She's a tramp. And you're an asshole!"

"Yeah. I am an asshole. And you're crazy. So drop it already, yo," he gritted his teeth in aggravation.

"I'm NOT cra-" she was cut off by Elena.

"Guys-the kid's awake," she informed them.

Marlene's distressed facial features must have been what gave her away. _'Busted,'_ she thought as she cracked an eye open to survey her surroundings.

"Rise and shine, Marlene," Reno greeted her over his shoulder with a grin as he piloted the chopper.

Marlene was strapped into her seat with a sophisticated padlock holding her belt in place. Elena was seated to her right, and Vayda, the other female Turk, was seated up front with Reno.

Marlene couldn't clearly see what Vayda looked like, only that she had long blonde hair from behind.

"Where are you guys taking me?" Marlene squeaked.

"You're going on a little vacation to Junon, kiddo. President Rufus Shinra is eager to meet you," Reno turned his attention back to the open air in front of him, adjusting his headset slightly.

"I've never been to Junon before. Is the president gonna hurt my daddy?" She fidgeted a little, playing with that padlock between her fingers.

"Only if dear old daddy resists arrest," Vayda said without turning around. "So yeah, probably."

Marlene's heart sank.

"Are you guys gonna hurt me?" she asked with a quivering voice.

"No, sweetie," Elena reassured her. "No one is going to hurt you. You just have to do as you're told."

Marlene remained quiet after that. The rest of the chopper ride was spent in silence as Marlene watched the clouds go by her window.

They descended upon Junon not long after. Marlene never saw anything like it. She saw images of Junon on TV and in newspapers, but somehow it never seemed real to her: An entire city that's once-sole purpose was military training and defense.

Now Junon was more of a tourist attraction: a relic of times past. It was a place people visited to see how archaic the planet was only 5 to 10 years prior, under the iron fist of Shinra.

The chopper ascended the city's stoic facade to arrive at the airfield at the very top.  
As promised, Rude was waiting on the Helipad below them.

"Hey, buddy, what's new?" Reno said into his headset. "Ohh S'at so? Well, we have a little girl here who's all set to meet him," he continued. "See you in a minute. Over and out."

Reno set the chopper down with precision, removed his headset, rubbed the bridge of his nose and eyes, and let out a heavy sigh. He stretched his limbs, yawned, and turned to Vayda, "You and Elena get the kid to the east wing of the executive level. There'll be a room for her there. Get her settled and we'll take care of the rest later."

"But what about you? Where will you be?" Vayda said in a demanding tone.

"That's my business. I'll be back later," he rubbed his neck and then dropped his hand to his leg in fatigue. Before Vayda could respond, Reno hopped out of the chopper and took off.

_'He's beat,'_ Marlene thought to herself. _'And this nasty lady really likes him. I wish he left Tifa alone. She really likes him now, too.'_ She felt angry now, instead of just frightened. Marlene had more than enough her share of being kidnapped after their abduction by Kadaj's gang. She also knew that she had to bide her time now until someone rescued her. She wished Denzel was there to keep her company. Her daddy and Tifa had to be on the way. Or maybe somehow Cloud and Vincent would rescue her again? She couldn't lose hope.

"We have to get her indoors. There's a storm coming up the coast," Elena said. "It's a tropical storm warning until oh seven hundred Thursday. Hopefully this won't delay Wallace's arrival."

Marlene looked at the ominous purple storm clouds in the distance and prayed that everything would be ok.

* * *

The winds picked up around the small seaplane causing severe turbulence, as well as multiple obscenities to fly from Barret's mouth.

"There's a tropical depression rolling in behind us. Looks like we'll land just in time to take cover," Byron stated.

"Jus' get dis box back on the ground, foo! I ain't got time to be gettin' busted up bein' trapped inside a buncha damn metal!" Barret hollered.

Byron maneuvered the plane into a discreet landing port at the edge of the city. The port was filled with military seaplanes as well as weapons and cargo boats. It was a very secure area, so it all made Tifa a bit nervous.

Byron spoke to the traffic control tower over his headset, and was cleared to land and park the plane in a predetermined spot.

"This is an air taxi port?" Tifa asked suspiciously.

"Well, technically no. Whenever I transport people or cargo to Junon, the military allows myself and a select few other pilots to use this area for water landings. The airfield at the top of the city is reserved for executive personnel and larger aircraft with wheel-type landing gear," he explained.

"How come you get special privileges?" Tifa prodded.

"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you," he deadpanned.

Tifa took it as a joke, but something niggling in the back of her mind told her it wasn't. She faked a laugh anyway and he smiled in response.

The travelers exited the plane and waited on the dock as Byron unloaded their few small bags, along with his own large black duffel bag.

The coastal winds began to pick up and whip around them. The storm would make landfall in the next hour or so. It was past dinnertime and they were all hungry and exhausted.

"If you're looking for a hotel, I know of a few reasonable ones. I can show you if you'd like," Byron offered.

"No thanks," Tifa smiled as she picked up her knapsack. "We'll be fine. Thank you for your assistance," she offered her hand to him, wanting to part ways with him ASAP. Something about this strikingly handsome man was wrong from the get-go.

Byron was surprised at her formal gesture, but nevertheless took her hand. What startled her was when he pulled her hand up to his lips and pressed them to her knuckles.

He pulled back to look her in the eyes, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Tifa. I look forward to crossing paths with you again." He released her hand and took a step back, turning towards Red and Barrett, "Thank you for your business. Safe travels, gentlemen." Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heels and walked away.

"Peace," Barret threw up two fingers and made a funny face, and then walked over to Tifa. "I don't like that guy."

"Really? I couldn't tell..." Tifa giggled as Barret smiled.

"Aight, aight. We gotta get a room and make a plan. A big ass storm ain't gonna help..."

Tifa looked up at the city and the remains of the Sister Ray Cannon. She couldn't help but shudder, "I forgot how much I hate this place."

"Yeah I feel ya, girl. We didn't exactly have a good time the last time we was here," he rubbed the back of his neck.

Red's voice came from behind them, "I think it's best if we move now, so we do not draw any unwanted attention."

They fell in line with other people unloading onto the dock as they made their way to the large cargo elevator that would bring them to the upper levels of the city.

"We'd better cover up -from the weather and to keep from being recognized," Tifa fished through her knapsack to extract two dark rain ponchos for herself and Barrett (in XXL for Barrett, of course. She thanked the gods that the shop at Gongaga had a variety of rain gear since the town existed in such a tropical climate), and a small woolen blanket to drape over Red. Unfortunately his flame-tail was still visible, but they'd just have to deal with that and get him indoors as quickly as possible.

"I heard this storm is gonna be really bad. There's coastal flooding already. I really hope we don't hear the tsunami sirens," Tifa overheard from the man next to her in the elevator.

"I heard they're gonna lock-down the city like they did when Weapon attacked!" said a panicked woman's voice from behind her.

"We picked a real great time for a visit," mumbled someone else.

"Do you think the president will cancel his appearance?" The crowd gossiped and chattered on.

"This storm may work out to our advantage," Red whispered to Tifa. "If the power goes out the military will have to put all their energy into turning on the older backup generators, since the huge materia no longer powers the city. They can't have another meltdown with the President in town. That might create enough of a distraction and a buffer of time for us to get Marlene back. Once we figure out where she is, exactly."

"We can only hope," was Tifa's reply as the elevator reached ground level.  
The passengers exited and bustled down the street to get out of the winds that had picked up substantially in the few minutes that they rode on the elevator.

Tifa noticed a few businesses boarding up their windows in an attempt to protect their wares from flying debris.

A place that caught her eye in particular was a seafood restaurant/bar with a sign that read: "Port Junon Trading Co" with a sultry-looking mermaid etched into the glass door.

_'Bingo,'_ she thought to herself. She knew exactly where to find Reno and ultimately, to find out where Marlene was.

As luck would have it the restaurant was attached to a hotel; A dumpy-looking hotel, but a hotel nonetheless.

"Guys, let's stay here," Tifa called to her companions who had already walked up ahead.

"Huh?" Barret turned to get a look at the place. "Dis place look like a crack house," he crossed his arms in disapproval.

"Oh we've stayed in worse places," Tifa reasoned. "Besides, all of the nicer places are probably close to full -if they aren't full already. Let's just go in and get settled before the storm gets any worse."

Barret deliberated for a minute, but ultimately walked with Red back towards Tifa. "Aight, but you gonna buy me a stiff drink tonight in 'dis smelly fish joint," he huffed as he walked past her and pointed to the restaurant.

"You got it," she smiled softly as she ducked out of the storm and into the run-down hotel.

* * *

**_To be continued.._**.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Hi People! _**

**_Thanks for all the reviews, new followers, and favorites. You keep me going =)_**

**_I have a few scenes written for future chapters, including an excellent shameless sex-scene. Hang tight._**

**_All familiar characters belong to Square-Enix. I make no money. Ever._**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

Marlene looked out the window of the posh Shinra holding room that Elena and Vayda had led her to.

She never stayed anywhere so fancy before. The drapery lining the large floor to ceiling window consisted of a dense red velvet material -held in place with thick golden ropes. There were two plush sofas in the middle of the room, one of which she lounged upon for a while, staring up at the ceiling with her little legs dangling over the side. Both sofas were ornately carved from dark wood, covered in purple pillows with gold fringe.

The opulence of the Shinra executive level was overwhelming. The room was fit for a princess or a foreign dignitary.

_"This is where you'll be staying for the time being. I'll be back to check on you soon. Do NOT break anything," were Elena's words to Marlene before she bolted the door shut, trapping the young girl inside._

_'I wonder why the President wants to meet me?'_ Marlene contemplated as she held her head up with her hand. She watched the rain begin to fall and the waves lashed upon the shoreline.

"You may want to stay away from the window," came a female voice from behind her. "These strong winds are causing lots of debris to fly. The glass is reinforced, but better safe than sorry."

It was Elena again, flanked by Vayda. Marlene hadn't even heard them come in. Both women made their way to the sofa that was placed opposite of Marlene, setting paper takeout cups of coffee down on the priceless-looking glass table in front of her. There was a third, smaller cup that Elena pushed towards Marlene.

"You like hot chocolate, sweetie?" Elena nudged.

Marlene turned from the window and sat quietly with her hands in her lap.  
"Is it poison?" she asked defiantly.

Vayda made a "tch" sound and crossed her legs in annoyance, pulling out her PHS to distract herself.

Elena picked up the hot chocolate to take a sip, and then placed it in Marlene's hands. "No poison. The President wants you alive. He has an important job for you to do."

"What kind of job?" Marlene took a tentative sip. It was pretty bland -Probably from a vending machine. Not delicious like Tifa's red pepper and cinnamon hot chocolate, no way.

"We'll go over that tomorrow. Tonight you can just relax. We have to wait until this storm blows over before we can make any further plans," Elena explained as she held her coffee in her lap.

Vayda leaned against the arm of the sofa with one arm propped on the armrest, scrolling through her PHS as she chewed on a red swizzle stick. "Katana's here. Looks like he made it to port before the storm. And he got Wallace and the others. They're staying in a hostel in the lower levels," she informed Elena.

"That's some good news, at least. I was thinking they'd have to turn back to Gongaga once they hit mid-ocean. Which hostel?"

"He didn't say," Vayda responded with a sigh, snapping her PHS shut. "I'm sure we'll be debriefed soon. We can't reach them tonight, anyway. This storm is nothing but a pain in the ass," she huffed in annoyance.

Marlene remained silent, _'Daddy and Tifa were captured? What's a hostel? Someone, please help...'_ She wanted to cry but she held herself together. She had to be strong. Someone would rescue her.

The two Turks stood. Vayda made her way to the door as Elena turned to Marlene and said, "You'll be sleeping here tonight, Marlene. Someone will be in shortly to bring you dinner and a blanket. We'll see you in the morning. Remember, for your own safety -stay away from the window."

Marlene nodded and watched the blonde Turks walk out.

The wind outside howled and the lights flickered.

It was going to be a rough, lonely night.

* * *

After locking their items up in a small safe in what turned out to be a discount traveler's hostel, Barrett, Tifa, and Red XIII laid down on their stiff mattresses to rest for a little bit. The wind and rain relentlessly pounded on the windows and brick walls as they attempted to get some shut-eye.

Tifa extracted her PHS from her pocket and flipped it open to check the time: 9:34pm. She noticed that her phone read 'No Service' in the upper left corner._ 'The storm must have knocked out all cell service,'_ she concluded.

She surveyed the room: Barret snored loudly in the background, and Red laid in the corner with his tail flame dimmed, giving the small room a soft candle-lit glow.

_'Now's a good time as any,'_ she thought as she sat up and slid her legs off the bed, quietly tiptoeing out of the room. '_So much for that stiff drink Barret wanted from the moment we got here.'_ She figured that was a good thing, though. That way if she ran into Reno, there wouldn't be any unnecessary resistance.

Tifa softly clicked the door shut behind her, double checking that she had her swipe key in her pocket. She maneuvered down the pitch black hallway. It looked like the power had been knocked out too.

There was a bit of a commotion on the lower level, but it sounded more like merriment than panic. She felt her way down the hall to the stairwell from memory, and noticed another glow coming from the bottom of the stairs. The stairway led to the indoor entrance to the adjacent restaurant: Port Junon Trading Co.

As she came upon the door, there was a large note attached to it that read: "HURRICANE PARTY: HALF PRICE WELL MIXERS &amp; 10 GIL TIL YOU FILL OYSTERS -Music by 'The Killing Spree'".

"Hoo boy," she said aloud as she pushed the door open. The place was hoppin' to say the least. Sailors, soldiers, suits, and tourists -the place was packed from wall to wall. It must have been the only establishment open during the storm. The bar was lit by large candles, tea lights, and glow sticks, and each wooden table had a large hurricane oil lamp burning in the center. Fast-paced punk music blared as the band played and sailors and tourists drunkenly danced together.

She made her way to the bar with a few passes made, such as: "Where you headed, sweetie?" and "Nice rack," followed by a whistle that trailed behind her.

Pigs.

But she was used to it. She could hurt them if she really wanted to, but tonight she couldn't be bothered. She needed to find Reno. She needed to get Marlene back.

'You're only here to fine Marlene. Don't let Reno get in your head. Or your skirt. Not tonight,' she firmly resolved with herself. But she didn't really believe she could remain strong. Reno had such a hold on her. He could make her crack so easily. _'Keep it together, girl.'_

She squeezed through the crowd to occupy an open spot at the bar. She noticed a few T-Shirts hanging for sale above the cash register, one of which was the same black shirt she "borrowed" from Reno during their romp in his apartment back in Edge. Her tummy did a little flip as she flashed back to him pulling the shirt off of her as they "played" in his kitchen.

"What can I getcha?" a pretty young girl wearing an orange bikini top and wide-netted white sweater snapped Tifa out of her flashback.

"Oh," Tifa was a bit flustered, "What do you have on tap?"

The girl counted on her fingers, "We have Chocobo Nut Ale, Wutai Pale Ale, Corel Lager, Nibel Porter and Midgar Lite Lager. We also have half price mixers and our own special "Hurricane" made with Corel Wine, fruit juice, and seltzer," she smiled.

"I'll try the Hurricane," she said as she placed her Gil on the bar.

"Tifa?"

She looked up at the young bartender who now had a look of recognition on her face.

"You're name is Tifa, right? You're friends with Cloud?"

Tifa was dumbfounded.

"Do you remember me? I'm Priscilla! You helped me a long time ago, before Meteorfall," she jumped a little bit with excitement.

"Priscilla?" Tifa recognized her now; The girl who had a pet dolphin friend aptly named "Mister Dolphin" who helped them infiltrate Junon all those years ago. Cloud saved Priscilla's life after she nearly drowned when a sea monster attacked her.

Priscilla had grown into a lovely young woman. She was still tan with long auburn hair that was swept up in a ponytail. Her honey-colored eyes contrasted beautifully with her tan complexion.

_'I see why Reno comes here: A dive bar with good food, raunchy bands, and a pretty wait staff,'_ Tifa mused.

"Priscilla you've grown up!" she laughed.

"Mm hmm!" The younger girl smiled. "I'm sixteen now. I'll be seventeen next month," she beamed. "How have you been? What are you doing here in Junon during such a bad storm? Where's Cloud? Is he here with you?"

The loud music was really distracting Tifa. She had to find Reno, but she also wanted to talk to Priscilla. With any luck, maybe she could help her, too.

"Listen, I'm looking for someone, I'm gonna walk around and see if he's here and I'll be back to talk to you, ok?" she explained loudly as Priscilla handed over her drink.

"Ok! My shift is over at ten. We can sit down and catch up," Priscilla gave Tifa a thumbs up before popping open a few beer bottles for some other customers.

"Sounds good, I'll be back in a few," Tifa waved before she made her way through the crowd again.

As she moved about the sea of bodies, she grew more and more angry with Reno. She didn't have much time to think about it during the past few hours, but her rage had returned. She was so mad at herself for consorting with the enemy, even it it was the best "consorting" of her life.

She looked everywhere. He wasn't there. No Reno, no Rude, no Vayda, no Turks. What would she even have said or done if he was there, anyway? Say, '_Hey Reno, where's Marlene?'_ and of course he wouldn't tell her and then they'd fuck and he'd be gone again.

_'So stupid,'_ she chastised herself. But at least she tried.

Tifa turned when she felt a hand on her shoulder. A jolt that felt like lightning ran through her and she tensed up, "Re-?" she turned and it was Priscilla.

"A table is about to open up. Let's go sit," Priscilla excitedly took her by the hand and dragged her to an open booth.

The girls chatted about the past few years. Priscilla asked about Cloud and joked that she was still going to marry him someday if she didn't find a boyfriend soon. She told Tifa that Mister Dolphin still visited her once in a while, but he spent most of his time in the warmer waters off the coast of Mideel. They talked about the president coming to town and how much everything changed after Meteorfall.

"So why are you REALLY here?" Priscilla prodded. "I know you have no love for Shinra, either. What's up?"

Tifa took a deep breath and began, "A little girl I love very much was kidnapped by The Turks. They brought her here to Junon. I'm here with my friends to find her."

Priscilla gasped, "A little kid?! What do they want with her?"

"They're holding her for ransom. My friend who's in town with me is her dad. I'm fairly certain they want him in exchange for her," Tifa played with her little paper drink umbrella.

"That's terrible!" Priscilla cried. "Shinra is the WORST. I thought they were over and done with, I really did. I never would have come to work in the city if I thought that they would ever come back. But now the military is re-forming and they're drilling all over the place and they're kidnapping kids again! I hate it!" Priscilla crossed her arms and made a disgusted face. "Shinra ruins everything!"

"I know," Tifa agreed softly.

"Who were you looking for? Did you ever find them?"

"No," she replied. She leaned into Priscilla and quietly added, "I was looking for a Turk. You might know him-"

"Reno? Were you looking for Reno? He comes here a lot when he's in Junon," Priscilla blurted. "I know he's Shinra but he's always been nice to me."

Tifa smiled in satisfaction, "Yes. He might know where Marlene -where the little girl is."

"How old is little Marlene?" the young bartender twisted her face, upset that the Turks kidnapped someone Tifa cared about.

"She's only nine," Tifa took her hand, pleading silently for answers, for any help she could offer.

"Reno was here by himself about an hour ago," she divulged to the older girl.

Tifa's heart raced. She just missed him.

"He was in a really bad mood. Usually when he comes in, he's the life of the party," she continued. "I thought he was just moody because of the storm. I dunno..." she trailed off.

"Do you happen to know where he stays when he's in town?" Tifa asked.

"Not really. I think he just stays on the upper levels with the rest of Shinra. Reno talks a lot when he's drunk, too. -You know how he got those tattoos on his face?"

Tifa's ears perked up. Now she was intrigued. She shook her head 'no' in response.

"They're the mark of a precision- killer. Reno has killed more than a hundred people. I've only ever seen those tattoos on one other person in my life, and he was a scary-looking mercenary from Mideel. Reno said there's a whole ceremony involved with getting those tattoos, and you have to go to a man in the jungles of Mideel to get 'em -like to a Shaman or something- who gives you drugs that make you hallucinate while they tattoo your face. They use a single needle, red ink, and a small hammer. It all sounded really painful. I think he regrets them. He didn't seem proud of them," she frowned. "I wouldn't be either. Reno is too pretty to be a killer. But I guess that's the way it is. The most beautiful creatures on the planet are also the deadliest. That's what my grandma used to tell me anyway..."

"I never knew that," Tifa sat in awe as she took in her story. Priscilla might have thought she was referring to her beautiful creature comment, but it didn't really matter.

Tifa could say with confidence that by now Reno had probably killed a thousand people or more, even. Especially after he dropped the upper plate on sector seven; That alone would certainly make his private death toll rise.

"He also talks a lot about weapons. Ma-AN he loves weapons! Sniper rifles and tasers and home-made bombs. And whiskey. He's always trying out different whiskeys when he comes in," Priscilla gabbed.

Tifa rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what Priscilla was talking about. But Reno never divulged about his tattoos when he came into Seventh Heaven. Or about anything personal, for that matter. Maybe it was because he was around work colleagues. He had to reel it in so he looked semi-professional. She laughed at that thought: _Reno. Professional. Right. _She cocked her head to the side, appraising Priscilla's demeanor. Her cheeks were flushed as she went on and on about Reno.

Tifa narrowed her eyes and smirked, "You have a crush on him."

"Is it that obvious?" Priscilla stopped raving and dropped her head in embarrassment.

Tifa smiled knowingly while taking a sip of her drink, "I get it. He's a cutie."

If only Priscilla knew the half of it. Sheesh...

Nervously, the younger girl changed the subject, "What about Cloud? Did you and him ever get together?"

Just as Tifa was about to answer, dreading going down that long and winding road, someone placed a glass on the table and slid into the booth next to her.

Shocked, Tifa recoiled to the side and looked to see who had interrupted them so rudely.

"Evening ladies."

Her mouth dropped open a little bit. It was Byron.

He wore a black dress shirt and slacks, and was now sporting an expensive-looking pair of glasses. He had an air of style about him. He almost looked like a high fashion model; Much more "professional" than when she saw him in his mechanic's jumpsuit a few hours prior at the docks.

Tifa snapped herself out of the initial shock. "Looks like you found the party," she smiled at him.

"Seems like it," he smiled back, clinking his glass against hers as he put his arms around her shoulders. Normally she would have punched a man in the mouth for pulling such a brash move, but it felt cozy and the drink was giving her a nice buzz. She didn't trust him, but she felt the need to play nice. For now.

"Who's your friend?" he motioned to Priscilla who was openly staring at them.

"This is my old friend Priscilla. Priscilla this is Byron. He was my pilot today," she took another sip of her drink.

"Nice to meet you," he nodded to the younger girl, and turned his attention back to Tifa. "I bet you have a lot of lovely lady friends. Pretty girls tend to flock together," he tipped back his drink and placed his empty glass on the table.

"She's too young for you," Tifa whispered.

He leaned into her ear and whispered back, "But you're not."

She felt ashamed that his words gave her goosebumps.

"YOU'RE a pilot?" Priscilla asked in shock.

"Among other things," he smiled. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"None of the pilots I ever met around here dress so nice," she laughed nervously. Tifa noted that Priscilla became flustered so easily around handsome men. _'Ah, to be a teenager again,'_ she mused. A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she recalled her own awkward teenage years.

"I like nice things. And I like to wear nice clothes when I'm not doing my grease monkey work. To each their own," he smiled softly.

"I suppose," Priscilla was still baffled. Honestly, Tifa was, too._ 'Among other things?'_ This guy had such a shady air about him, and she felt like a wolf's prey under his arm.

"What other work do you do?" Priscilla prodded.

"Oh a little of this, a little of that. I mostly do transport and odd jobs. Nothing too exciting," his grip around Tifa flexed, tightening and then relaxing.

Tifa felt uncomfortable. Something wasn't right. Did Byron follow her here? What did he want from her? Why was he always so vague? His body language seemed awfully tense.

"I'm getting tired. I'd better get back to my room to check on my friends. Hopefully this storm will be over soon," Tifa tried to wrap things up so she could get away from Byron. Everything screamed to her that he was bad news.

"Priscilla will you be here tomorrow?"

"If the storm lets up by evening, we should be open for dinner. I don't have a PHS but you can always call the restaurant if you need me. I'm here most nights," she smiled.

"Ok sounds good," Tifa gathered her small purse and PHS and turned to Byron who was staring her down.

"Party's over already?" He didn't look like he wanted to move.

"'Fraid so. I need my beauty rest," Tifa tried to seem light-hearted, and not that she wanted to run away from him as fast as her legs could go.

"I'll walk you to your room, then," Byron finalized.

"That's not necessary," she waved her hand in dismissal.

"Maybe not, but it would be rude if I didn't," he pressed on. "You can't snub me twice in one day, Tifa."

She was getting annoyed now. What did he think? That he would come upstairs and they'd have sex in the same room as her traveling companions? Out of the question. Not like she was even going to sleep with him anyhow -Not with Reno in the back of her mind.

"I'll get in touch with you tomorrow, Priscilla. Thanks for the info," Tifa winked to her young friend as she and Byron slid put of the booth and stood together.

"No problem. It was so good to see you," she hugged Tifa tight, which startled the older girl a little bit. Priscilla took a step back and said, "If I see Reno, I'll let him know you were looking for him."

Tifa cringed a little at that. She didn't want Byron knowing her business.

"Thanks," she forced a smile in response. "Stay safe during the storm."

"Oh don't worry about me! I've survived hurricanes and tsunamis and even a Weapon attack! I'm tough," she giggled. "I'll see you soon. It was nice meeting you," she said to Byron with a blush.

"Likewise," he placed his hands in his pockets.

"Let's go," Tifa made her way through the crowd to the exit as Byron followed close behind.

When they reached the dark lobby of the hostel, they were greeted with the sounds of pounding rain and howling winds outside. It was a much different atmosphere than the boisterous bar behind them.

"Reno?" she finally heard him say.

"An old friend," was her curt reply.

"Mm."

Then they were silent.

"...So I'm staying on the second floor here. How about you?" she tried to make conversation to break the tension.

"I should have figured. You and Reno..." he said darkly.

"What? He's a friend. What are you-?"

Realization dawned on her. He knew Reno. How did he know Reno? What was going on here? She knew something wasn't right. Nothing he said had any real substance.

She took a step back.

"He told me not to touch you. Now I know why," he inched closer to her.

Tifa readied herself in a defensive fighting stance.

This guy was with Shinra. He had to be.

A green glow came from his wrist, and suddenly Tifa felt her light alcohol buzz turn into full-blown drunken spins.

Seal Materia; He cast a sleep spell, and she wasn't equipped with any protective bands.

"Fuck," was all she could say as the light dimmed and everything went silent.

* * *

_**(I love blacking people out as a transition!)**_

_**To be continued...**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hi all!**_

_**Thank you for the continued readership and reviews! Much love!**_

_**All characters belong to Square-Enix. No money is being made from this work of fiction.**_

* * *

Marlene hadn't slept a wink. Klaxons blared throughout the Shinra complex all night. The storm knocked out eighty percent of the power in Junon, and the backup generators were only powering what was absolutely necessary to run the most essential buildings in the city.

Elena was right to warn her to stay away from the window; A flying metal pipe smashed into it sometime during the night, which made her bolt up and scream in terror. The gale-force winds drove the pipe straight through the glass, but left the pane in-tact with spiderweb cracks surrounding it.

Marlene hoped someone would come to check on her soon, because the pipe emitteed a terrible whistling noise from the wind, and the cracked glass had been leaking water all over the floor. She had no clue how much longer the damaged window pane could withstand the unrelenting wind and heavy rain, either. She stayed on the sofa to avoid touching the cold, moist carpet with her feet. Everything around her smelled like the salt and pollution of the ocean now, and boy, was it stinky.

She perked up as the door to her holding area slowly began to open. It sounded like someone was struggling to open it from the other side. A crowbar popped through an opening as it was forcibly pried apart.

"Marlene?" shouted a sturdy male voice from the other side. "Are you there?"

"I'm here! I'm ok!" she yelled back with a tremor in her voice.

"I'm coming in," was all she heard before the leader of the Turks stepped in, wearing his shiny leather dress shoes and signature impeccable two-piece business suit and tie.

Marlene witnessed Tseng in person a handful of times. She remembered when he "escorted" Aeris away from the slums when Marlene was still very young, and spotting him more recently in the bar with his companions from time to time. He was a tall, handsome man with a fairly intimidating presence. Tseng was all business; A born leader who completed a mission no matter what.

Marlene stood up on the couch so Tseng could see exactly where she was located in the room. He appraised the current state of the window and realized quickly that the floor was soaked beyond belief.

"I apologize that you had to stay in such a mess last night, Marlene," he said, approaching her while carpet made sloshing noises under his feet. He held out an open hand for her to take hold of. "I need you to come with me now. The storm isn't letting up and we need to have this room serviced by maintenance as soon as possible."

Marlene tentatively placed her tiny hand in his large palm. She noted that he had elegant fingers as he hoisted her up and carried her out of the room. Once they reached the hallway, however, he gently placed her down on her own two feet. "We are going to have breakfast with President Shinra. He has some important things he'd like to discuss with you."

Before she had time to respond, Tseng took her by the shoulders and ushered her down the dimly-lit hallway to her final destination. Marlene was filled with dread as sirens continued to blare. Shinra employees hurried up and down the halls, and red and white lights flickered and flashed throughout the building.

The President was waiting.

* * *

_A metallic, sterile scent. _

_Grey and white walls -and a faint buzzing noise. Flourescent bulbs? Probably. _

"Not again," Tifa moaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She was still woozy from the sleep spell, and less than pleased when she realized where she was:

ShinRa Labs at Junon.

Again.

"Dammit!" she hollered as she slammed her fist on the metal tray next to her, which sent medical equipment flying across the room. The last time she was in this room, Meteor loomed outside the window like a harbinger from hell.

"Cool it, Teef," a familiar voice came from a loudspeaker overhead.

Her eyes went wide.

_Reno._

She couldn't see him but she knew he must be on the other side of the Mirrored observation glass.

Tifa whipped around, scurried off the examination table and stalked over to the mirror, "Let me out of here **YOU SONOVABITCH!**" She slammed her fist against the reinforced plexi-glass.

"Whoa whoa WHOOAA," Reno attempted to calm her.

"Where's **MARLENE**? Where's _my girl?!_" she slammed harder as she shouted, clenching her teeth in anger.

"No way you're gonna get her back with that attitude," he continued unshaken, "but I gotta say I love it when you get fired up like this." Reno laughed as he cut the mic.

"**Reno!** I swear _to god_ when I get out of here I'm gonna **KILL YOU!**" She raged on, "I'm gonna tear you _limb from limb!_" She had malice in her eyes.

"That sounds pleasant," he laughed some more, "Kinda kinky, even." She could hear him smiling and it only served to amplify her anger.

"You're stupid _ShinRa **DO****G**!_ How could you do something _so low?!_ You'd better PRAY and _**PRAY HARD**_ because I'm coming for you when I get out of here!" she kicked a medical supply cart into the wall, leaving an angry dent and more scattered medical instruments in its wake.

"Tifa," he reasoned, "if you don't calm down, all I have to do is press a button and you'll be gassed right back to dreamland."

She continued to stare at her own reflection, searching for Reno.

"I'm here to help. But I can't do that until you're calm," he soothed.

She didn't trust him. Not one iota. But what else could she do? She'd have to play nice until she came up with a solid plan.

It was always a game with Reno.

She composed herself before she spoke again. He was right. Kicking and screaming wasn't going to get her anywhere. Not right now, anyway.

She ran a hand through her ebony locks in frustration before placing a hand on her hip, and another against the frame of the mirror. "That man- Byron. He's a Turk?" she questioned while staring into the glass, still faced with her own image. She was paler than usual, with reddish-purple bags under her eyes. She was exhausted, and her little display of adrenalin-induced rage didn't help her situation all that much. She had to cool it to reserve her strength -Now she was even more tired than before.

"Yeah. Katana," he finally answered. "He's one of the best."

She pictured Reno with his feet up on a desk behind the glass as he chatted with her: "We lucked out that he was still in Gongaga. He's a veteran who went into early retirement after Meteorfall. Rude convinced him to join the cause again a few months back. I don't know if you noticed, but there's a few more of us in the field these days."

_She noticed, all right._ She noticed when that blonde she-devil Vayda tried to kill her on top of The Sierra.

Tifa slowly turned away from the glass and walked back over to the examination table. She didn't want to talk anymore. She didn't want his so-called _"help",_ which was probably just another trick. All she wanted was to go to sleep and wake up in her own bed and it would all turn out to be a bad dream. She didn't want to fight anymore. She didn't want to hear the word 'ShinRa' ever again. She didn't even want to see Reno's face at this point.

She was beyond tired of it all.

"Tifa?" Reno's voice cut back in.

She got back up on the exam table to lie down.

"Teef..." he tried again.

She closed her eyes and envisioned the stars at Nibelheim.

Somehow, she willed herself back to sleep. She drowned out Reno. She drowned out the world. She would just sleep until it was all over; Until the storm passed. Or at least until something substantial happened. Maybe Barrett and Red would bust in soon to save her. And then they would all get Marlene back and go home together.

_Maybe..._

* * *

"Is your meal not to your liking, Miss Wallace?"

Marlene decided that she really despised President ShinRa. Tseng was ok, but the President was rotten to the core. She could tell. He was nothing but a giant spoiled brat.

"It's lovely but I'm just not hungry today, sir," she answered cordially, addressing him formally as Tseng had instructed.

It really was lovely. The breakfast spread consisted of exotic fruits, Chocobo eggs, fresh-baked breads, colorful jams, juices and teas; Entirely too much food for just three people.

Marlene sat with the president and Tseng at the table as Elena stood guard at the door. The room was exceptionally fancy: decorated with Wutaiian rugs, tapestries and satin draperies, with a sparkling chandelier hanging overhead. The large observation window was now covered by a steel shield, protecting them from the raging storm outside.

"Well then, we can bring you something different for lunch if you feel up to it. For now, please have something to drink at the very least," he smiled as a server made their way to her seat with a pitcher of yellow liquid. "I'd prefer that you have some nutrients in you for the duration of your stay with us," he finished with a polite smile.

Marlene didn't like him one bit. She took a sip of her juice, forcing it down. She was thirsty but her stomach was in knots.

"Marlene," he continued, placing his fork on his plate, "do you know why we brought you here?"

Marlene bit back what she _really_ wanted to say to him, and instead said, "No sir- Well yes, sir. I think I do. I was told you have a job for me," her eyes darted to Tseng, who was watching her intensely. "I think it has to do with my dad..." she folded and unfolded her napkin over and over in her lap.

"Please don't be so nervous, Marlene," she cringed when he spoke her name. "And yes, I do have a job for you." The President wiped the corners of his mouth with a cloth napkin and stood up, adjusting his cuffs and jacket before making his way over to a tapestry on the wall. He pulled a cord and it lifted to reveal a series of surveillance screens.

"Your father is wanted in connection to a series of terroristic events. A few of our energy-producing facilities were attacked recently, and he was caught on our surveillance cameras during each and every one."

Rufus extracted a remote from the wall and clicked the screens on, producing a series of screenshots of Barrett in action.

"He is a wanted criminal and we need your help to bring him to justice," he said with an air of finality.

Marlene was appalled. Did the president honestly think that she would help him? That she would help ShinRa? After everything her Dad and their friends fought and nearly died for already? No way!

"**I'm not helping _ANYONE_ hurt my daddy!**" she shouted defiantly, as she stood on her chair.

"You misunderstand," Rufus continued unfazed by her defiance, "No one is going to hurt your father. We are just going to send him to prison to serve for his crimes. That way, he will no longer put anyone in danger. You don't want anyone to get hurt because of your father's actions, now do you Marlene?"

Little Marlene chewed her lip before responding in kind, "**You're a liar!** ShinRa is a giant LIE!" She figured she had nothing to lose now, "You nearly killed the planet and everything on it once -and now you're doing it **again!** You're nothing but greedy slime suckers! My Daddy is helping _everyone_ by stopping you! He **WILL** stop you again! Even if he has to blow up the whole city... He'll save me and he'll stop you! He's going to show the world what you've been up to!" She jumped off her chair and bolted for the door in vain; Elena caught her before she could go any further.

"Lemme go!" she shouted as she kicked Elena, feebly struggling to free herself.

"Please don't be so hasty, Marlene," the President continued coolly, clicking a button on his remote so that the smaller surveillance screens melded into one giant image:

It was Tifa - lying unconscious on an examination table in a medical lab.

"Tifa!" Marlene cried as she broke free of Elena's grasp and ran to the image.

The President cleared his throat, "Marlene, let me make myself clear: I am not _requesting_ your assistance. If you do not do as I say, Ms. Lockhart will be subjected to some _unpleasant situations." _He smiled menacingly.

She turned in horror.

"Tomorrow, once the storm has passed, you will speak in front of a large crowd. The whole world will be watching, Marlene. You are going to announce a ransom for your father on behalf of ShinRa before I discuss our new energy plan. If you do not comply, you will never see Ms. Lockhart again. Am I clear?" Rufus loomed over Marlene now, waiting for her response.

"You're a monster..." she whispered with tears in her eyes.

"I've been called worse," he stated simply. "I do what I must so that my company can continue. If that makes me a monster, so be it."

With that being said, he straightened up, clicked the screen off and exited the room.

Elena took Marlene by the hand and dragged her off to yet another unknown destination.

* * *

**_Stay tuned..._**


	14. Chapter 14

_Hey everyone!_

_Sorry for the delayed update. I always promised myself I wouldn't be a fanfiction writer who goes on hiatus for months/years/decades. I hate that. _

_Anywhooo, I've been working on a few other side projects including but not limited to: Beauty and The Beast, KristAnna Frozen goodtimes, some Loki/Darcy aka TaserTricks(?) drabbles, and maybe just maybe some AeriSeph. Who KNOWS?! Not me. But maybe me? You got me, it's me. I'm tired._

_Again, this is a short chapter. Gotta move things along. We're getting there, we're getting there._

_FFVII and its characters belong to Square/Enix, no money is being made on my behalf, yadda, yadda, yadda..._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"We will have no more outbursts today, Ms. Lockhart. Our equipment here is delicate and you've ruined quite enough of it for the time being."

Tifa grit her teeth. She shifted slightly in the leather straps that held her firmly to the chair in which she was currently seated. The Shinra doctor who had been scolding her had administered a heavy sedative, a muscle relaxer of sorts, the moment she woke up again. Her senses were dulled. She tried her best to remain as alert as possible, given her current predicament. This time Reno's phantom voice wasn't taunting her from a loudspeaker making any more false promises. This time, a stoic man in a white lab coat hovered over her, ready to jab her with another needle to moment she got out of hand again. This doctor wasn't as menacing as Professor Hojo, but he had the same acrid mannerisms that most of the medical employees of Shinra exhibited.

Tifa felt loopy, but still aware of her surroundings. She awoke to her recurring nightmare come to life: Confined to an execution chamber. _Again._ The majority of this rescue mission was spent re-visiting the past, it seemed. How did she end up in this place again? She swore she would never go back to Junon after the last time -after she nearly died a horrible death at the hands of Rufus Shinra and his cronies.

"Oh hoo hoo!" came a sharp female laugh from behind her. "It looks like I get to finish what _she_ couldn't!"

_'What?'_ Tifa was really confused now. It couldn't be. The person that laugh belonged to, she was long dead.

All too suddenly, Vayda appeared in front of Tifa, inches from her face, her cold hands over the fighter's disengaged fists as she leaned forward in a taunting fashion.

"I'm so lucky! What a lucky girl I am!" she laughed maniacally.

Tifa continued to stare at the malicious female Turk in confusion, her lips pursed. What was this crazy woman going on about?

Tifa felt a sharp sting against her left cheek. And then another against her right. Everything was whirling. Things happened quickly, but time slowed down. The drugs in her system weren't like anything she ever felt before, and she had her fair share of poisoning, concussions, and so forth. Shinra didn't fuck around.

This was all too familiar -This woman who was now smacking her across the face: _**Vayda. **_She always reminded Tifa of someone, but she could never quite put a finger on it: Her love of weaponry. Her annoying laugh. Her ruthless tactics and unwavering loyalty to Shinra. _Her bright blonde hair and perfectly manicured appearance._

"You're just like Scarlet," Tifa slurred.

"I suppose," Vayda stood up and checked her nails for any chips. "But I'm not dead, and I don't plan on dying anytime soon. So don't worry about that," she leaned forward again, "You'll see her soon enough." She leaned in to whisper into Tifa's ear, "Your stupid ass will belly-up in the lifestream soon. If you bump into my sister you can tell her how I killed you."

Tifa's head slumped forward as Vayda exited the chamber with the doctor in tow, bolting the door shut behind them. She couldn't help herself when a name slipped past her lips in a soft plea, the name she always called upon whenever she needed to be rescued:

"Cloud..."

* * *

The tropical storm had passed but the generators were still working overtime to get the city back up to speed. A series of power surges and rolling brown-outs complicated the timing of The President's speech, but everything seemed to be up and running at the moment. Rufus's appearance was planned for Noon from the safety of the Shinra press room, preceded by Marlene's open plea for Barret to turn himself in. Elena and Tseng coached her on what to say to ensure that Tifa would remain safe; that no harm would come to her.

Marlene sat nervously at the front of the aisle. Reporters, camera men, photographers, and all sorts of other media workers scrambled for seats. It seemed as though every single one of them was either talking or texting on their PHS since cell service had been restored that morning. Elena sat with Marlene, keeping a close eye on her. Marlene didn't exactly dislike Elena. She had been nothing but kind to her. She disliked - _no, hated_ the evil company that she worked for. Marlene also felt that Tseng had been kind to her in honor of Aeris. Anyone with eyes could see how much Tseng had adored Aeris. If he ever hurt Marlene, Aeris would make sure he'd have holy hell to pay.

A high-ranking official made his way to the podium to greet the press and introduce Marlene as a _"young ally in Shinra's peace efforts"_.

Marlene felt like a puppet in some sort of surreal play. If she didn't comply, Tifa would be executed. If she did comply, Tifa would probably be executed anyway, and her daddy would probably be captured. And executed. It was all so sick.

Elena prompted Marlene by nudging her shoulder, escorting her to the stage while cameras clicked and flashed. Applause echoed throughout the hall. A step-ladder had been provided to help Marlene reach the podium. How cute. The young girl visibly shook as she adjusted the microphone. The hot spotlights were blinding and she could barely see anyone in front of her. Elena cleared her throat from behind her, indicating that Marlene was taking too long.

Taking a deep breath, Marlene began speaking in a small, sweet voice, "Good morning. I am speaking to you today on behalf of the Shinra Electric Power Company and its affiliates. Recently, a series of terrorist attacks were committed against Shinra's newly-acquired energy production sites. We need your help to identify and convict six dangerous suspects who are currently on the loose."

Marlene took another deep breath. She had to go through with it.

"Shinra has reason to believe that one of these individuals may currently be here in Junon. The man they are pursuing is to be considered armed and dangerous. The individual in question is, in fact, my father, and I am personally urging him to turn himself in. His name is..."

Her breath hitched.

"His name is..."

She froze.

The crowd murmured as the timid little girl paused in anxiety. She turned her head and was met with a glare from Elena. She turned her head again and glimpsed the movement of orange toward the back of the room. Marlene squinted her eyes in an attempt to get a better look at what it was: Red XIII!

Marlene gasped with joy and smiled from ear to ear, causing the crowd to murmur with greater confusion.

"Marlene!" Elena whispered loudly.

Marlene wasn't going to finish her scripted lines, no way no how. Not when someone was clearly there to rescue her.

The power went out and the emergency lights came on. A collective groan could be heard throughout the hall. The tired, cranky media workers were fed up with power outages at this point.

Elena's PHS rang. She answered it roughly as she ushered Marlene from the stage to another holding area. "What do you mean? Is it the Sierra?" Elena barked to the individual on the other line. "Get the President to the Sub Pad then. We'll regroup when its taken care of." Elena snapped the PHS shut and rubbed the bridge of her nose before dragging Marlene down another random hallway.

* * *

Tifa's head bobbed up at the sound of the iron door being pried open. Two people were bickering as they entered the chamber.

"The FUCK I CAN'T! She shouldn't have even been put in here in the first place!"

It was Reno. Her heart fluttered slightly as she heard him enter.

Tifa's drugged state was wearing off slightly as he strode in and knelt down in front of her, shining a small light in her face, checking her pupils. "Lemme guess who put you in here," he smirked.

"Ass..." Tifa smiled back lazily. "She's gonna kill me," she laughed softly. "She really wants me dead, Reno," she continued, slurring a bit, smiling like a drunken fool. "She's gonna kill me..." she retorted.

"Not today," he said lightheartedly as he balanced a cigarette on his lips while un-doing the straps that were held her down. "You know I like you all tied up like this. Maybe we can have fun with it sometime." He hoisted her up and carried her from the chamber as a Shinra medical worker followed them out.

"Such an ass," she muffled into his chest.

Rude was stationed on the other side of the door. He reported to Reno as they walked back into the medical lab, "Rufus was moved to the sub-level. Tseng and Katana are with him. Elena has the girl. And AVALANCHE is here."

"Greeaat," Reno replied as he placed Tifa in a chair nearby. This gas chamber had been somewhere in the medical lab, which was much different from last time. She guessed that her death wasn't to be televised, but rather strictly for Vayda's own amusement.

"What the HELL are you doing?!" came Vayda's screeching voice from the hallway. She rushed in and kicked Reno in the shin.

"The FUCK?!" he bellowed as he grabbed his leg in annoyance. He whipped to face her, towering over her in anger.

"Rufus specifically stated that she was to be executed if the brat didn't comply!" she hollered.

"So he told you to put her in the goddamn _Lung Douser_? I don't recall_ that_ in this morning's debriefing," he fired back. "The kid was gonna do it. AVALANCHE probably just cut the power."

"I'm just doing whatever gets the job done, Reno! You're letting your feelings get in the way," she placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh, and you're not?! You better watch it, rookie," he pointed a finger directly in her face. "Remember your place."

"Oh _I'D_ better watch it?" she placed a hand on her chest for emphasis. "How about you, Reno? Once Rufus finds out about this disloyal shit you've been up to, you're done." She turned a heel and stomped out.

Tifa waved "bye-bye" comically, not really in control of her behavior as the blonde stormed down the hall, .

Reno continued to puff on his cigarette.

Rude uncharacteristically broke the silence. "She's right", he stated simply as he ducked out of the room after Vayda.

"Bye Ruuuude," Tifa said softly, fading her voice as she waved goodbye to him, too.

She and Reno were left alone in the electric buzz of the lab. Most of the lights were out, except for a few fluorescent bulbs inside the refrigeration units -which were powered by backup generators.

"We're a couple of fuck-ups," Tifa giggled, unable to help herself. The situation was ludicrous and she was still fairly doped up, slumped back in the chair with her legs bent to the side.

Reno sighed and knelt in front of her again. "I'm sorry, babe," he hung his head, and then looked up at her with hopeful eyes. He scratched the back of his head and then pinched the bridge of his nose, "We really are fuck-ups, everything is fucked up. All of it."

"Yeahhh we are... and yeahhh it is" she patted him on the shoulder. Reno looked at her hand on his shoulder and smiled to himself. She was a mess.

"She's Scarlet's sister," Tifa rolled her head to the side and laughed. "What a couple of nasty ho's."

Reno laughed too, mostly at how unfiltered Tifa was on Shinra's medicinal cocktail. She was being abrasive and honest and he loved every second of it.

"She slapped me 'round like Scarlet did. Those bishes like ta slap, huh?" she slurred and reached a hand out, mimicking a slapping motion, followed by attempting to clap her hands, but failing miserably in her attempt to make them connect. "A big 'ol slap-happy family, huh?"

This really got Reno going, as he held his stomach in laughter.

He leaned forward on his knees, bringing his face inches from hers, "Okay, loopy. It's about time I get you outta here. I'll get you back to your friends before my ass is skinned by Tseng."

She cocked her head, "What about Marlene?" Her silly demeanor changed to a mood of confusion and panic in an instant.

"She's fine," he took Tifa's limp arm and hoisted her up, "You'll see her really soon."

And with that they were off and running.

Well, Reno was running.

Tifa was just along for the ride.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	15. Chapter 15

_Hello my lovely readers!_

_Did you miss me? I missed you!_

_I started working on a new story that's Tseng/Aerith-centered called "Lily of the Slums". Please check it out if you feel so inclined. I have a few chapters written that are currently being edited ATM. It's gonna get **really** sexy, I promise! I did, however receive an anonymous review informing me that it was too much like a story that I actually never read called "Border of Taboo"? That story is about AeriSeph and Genesis? (Not entirely sure.) If you're familiar with the work, can you please give me some comparison if you see it in my story? After the review, I skimmed Border of Taboo and felt that although the general idea of my story is similar, the storytelling is vastly different. My upcoming chapters may go in a lot of different directions. I'm sure a lot of different writers have the same idea that I did, but executed it differently. Oh well, no use beating a dead horse if that's the case. I'm just curious. I don't want other writers to think I'm blatantly ripping them off. I wouldn't do that. That's UNCOOL._

_Anyhow,_

_Here's another chapter of what you came here for! Because I love you! (But no sex. Sorry. And I still love you.)_

_All characters belong to square/enix and not me. Plz no sue._

* * *

Reno flew through the halls of the Shinra complex at a dizzying speed. Tifa's drugged brain was currently "on delay" so to speak, and she had a hard time keeping up with her surroundings while they whizzed by in a cacophony of color and lights.

All too suddenly they came screeching to a halt. Reno placed her in an upright standing position as he slammed a door behind them, bolting it shut with a heavy metal lock. Before Tifa's dizzy brain had time to take in any more information, her stomach decided to empty its contents all over the white tile floor. It was mostly bile, and it burned coming up. Everything was blurry as she remained in a hunched-over position on the floor, sobbing in pain.

"Jesus, babe," she heard Reno's concerned voice from behind as he shuffled around. A crumpled piece of something appeared in front of her -Paper towels? She graciously took them from his outstretched hand as she proceeded to wipe the bile from her mouth. The towels were scratchy and brown and they didn't help much, but it was "the thought that counts".

Tifa took in her surroundings: She and Reno were locked away in a laundry room with large windows -which offered a nice view of the ocean, covered by receding storm clouds.

"Rude has my materia, babe. Otherwise I'd be able to help ya. You gotta get all of this out of your system on your own. A lot of it is in your blood stream, though, so you're gonna be fucked up for a bit longer…"

Tifa half-coughed-half-sobbed in response. She felt warmth encircle her. Slowly, she realized Reno was on the ground now, as he embraced her from behind. He rocked her body gently against him in an attempt to comfort her.

* * *

_Marlene's tiny voice floated in from the hallway, "Tifa's got the stomach flu."_

_"She does, huh?" Cloud's low baritone drifted in behind Marlene's._

_He knew. _

_Tifa stayed up drinking red wine all night waiting for him, as per usual. _

_She heard his heavy booted footfalls as he came to the door, hovering there, not daring to enter while he observed her limp form lying curled up in front of the toilet._

_Cloud never touched her. Not anymore; and especially not after she went on another bender to spite him._

_"How's it going?" he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed._

_Tifa extended a half-hearted thumbs-up in response. "It's almost over," she informed him, her voice just above a whisper._

_They both suspected the double-meaning behind her innocent words._

_"I'm heading south for the week. The kids got breakfast. You get some sleep, ok? I'll have my PHS on me if you need anything."_

_"Okay…" she closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning. They always did this. She'd be a mess, he'd make a false promise that he'd pick up his phone if she called, and then he'd leave._

_ Just like that._

_The very next week it was, indeed, over._

* * *

"Don't worry babe. I still think you're gorgeous, even when you're ralphing like one of the regulars at your bar," Reno brushed his hand through her hair, softly patting her head as he held her close.

Tifa could feel her senses slowly heightening again. Whatever she had purged was helping her regain some sense of control. Everything was still foggy around the edges, but the spinning had stopped for now, at least.

Reno leaned in to her ear, "Can you stand?"

"… I can try."

He hoisted her up. She slumped against him before attempting to stand on her own. She moved forward shakily, testing her legs.

"All good," she confirmed, holding her arms out to the side for balance.

Then it all came rushing back to her: Reno took Marlene. And his ex-girlfriend or whatever the fuck she was tried to kill her… Again! _Re-no_ was a good chunk of the reason she was going through all of this madness! She remembered that she had made him a promise while she was in the lab, when he was on the other side of the glass-

::SMACK!::

Reno reeled backwards, "FUCKIN' CHRIST, TIFA!"

He stared at her in disbelief as he held the side of his head in pain.

"That's for Marlene! And for everything else! Fuck…" her head was still foggy as she wobbled slightly. But she hoped Reno was as disoriented as she was now, too, at least. He owed her that much.

Without warning, he pushed her up against the wall to get in her face, "You listen to me—I've been BEYOND nice. I'm trying to HELP you, Teef. The goal is to get you out of here. I'm already as good as screwed -with Tseng _AND_ Rufus. I'm gonna get thrown in the hole, no doubt, thanks to blondie's big mouth and _big-ger_ vendetta. _Please_ don't make this harder than it already is. I'm really fucking tired of it."

She slumped against the wall in defeat. Nothing about this situation was black or white. It was all so muddy, yet it seemed that she and Reno were the defining factor in all of it. If they were clear cut lovers or enemies, one or the other, this would be somewhat easier, right?

Just as she opened her mouth to respond, they were interrupted by a thunderous shaking outside. Reno turned and made his way to the window to see what was happening. Tifa followed, but stopped in her tracks as the impressive bulk of The Sierra came into view. The crew appeared to be in a firefight with a Shinra helicoper, as well as with troops on the ground.

"Shit!" Reno growled making his way back to the door, unbolting it and running back into the hallway.

"Reno!" Tifa yelled after him. He seemed to have forgotten about her, or maybe he was giving her the cold shoulder for hitting him? He ran as fast as she could to keep up with him, which was extremely difficult in her current state. Reno always was, and always would be, a faster runner than her.

She ran on and on, following Reno's blur of Red and black, which became smaller and smaller the more she ran, brushing past guards and employees that paid her no mind. Everyone had their own agenda, and Tifa wasn't a part of anybody's at the moment. Or so it seemed. Everyone around her was preoccupied with the ensuing firefight, the President's cancelled speech, and keeping the facility up and running after all of the power outages. In short, she was running backwards through pandemonium. The story of her life...

"Typical Junon," she mumbled to herself. Man, she hated this place.

Before she knew it, she fell so far behind from Reno that he was nowhere in sight, and she was completely lost -And winded -And dehydrated -And completely alone.

She sank into an alcove to catch her breath as unfamiliar faces continued to rush up and down the hallway.

There was another large boom and the whole building shook. Dust and rubble fell from the ceiling in front of her, _'Not good. Time to go.'_

She was on the move once again. To where? She had no clue. So she fell in line with what looked like a group of food service workers in white chef coats, and followed them to wherever they were headed.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the light from an exit appeared about thirty meters in front of them. Now all she had to do was flag down the Sierra and get Cid to help her find the others. With any luck, they would all be on-board already, and they could all head to safety together. They could figure out their plan of action after that.

Tifa's exit was cut short, however, when someone grabbed hold of her hair from behind, dragging her backwards. She let out a scream but nobody even stopped to help her. They all just went about their business as Tifa feebly struggled, feeling the cold barrel of a gun pressed against her jaw now.

"You didn't think you could get away from me that easily, did you?" Vayda's dreaded voice ghosted over her ear. Her eyes widened as she realized that she was beyond help now. Nobody interfered with Turk business. She was too weak to fight and she didn't have any materia equipped.

_'Fuck. I was so close…' _

She braced herself for the end.

_'Damn…'_

"Drop it, Vee," came Reno's voice from behind.

Vayda whipped around, gun still pressed to Tifa's jaw.

"Or WHAT?! She's supposed to be dead, Reno!" she spat at her superior.

"There's no point now, Vee. Highwind's crew came for the rest of them. We may as well let her go with them. They already exposed Rufus with their footage. We're the ones who're up shit's creek, here. Killing her won't make any difference now." Reno had his EMR out, resting it against his shoulder in the typical, nonchalant fashion –as if it was a fashion accessory, or a toy, rather than a deadly weapon or a torture device -whichever Reno decided it to be with the turn of a dial.

"No way!" she fired back. "She's a disrespectful, meddling WHORE, and I'm going to END her! Say gabye to your girlfriend Reno -If I can't have you, NEITHER CAN SHE!"

Reno dialed up his EMR and pointed it directly at Vayda's face, his voice deadly serious, "I'm warning you."

"NO! I'm warning YOU," her finger tightened around the trigger, but before anything could happen, her entire body froze.

Tifa's eyes had been clenched shut, awaiting her fate. She heard a loud :Clang: and dared to crack one eye open. What she witnessed sent her spiraling into shock and awe:

Cloud.

And… Yuffie?

Cloud battled with Reno through the hallway while Yuffie approached her.

"Quick, girl! I put a stop spell on her but the moment she snaps out of it, you're dead!"

Yuffie maneuvered Vayda's limp arms upward so Tifa could slip out from underneath them. The moment she did, the two girls embraced.

"Marlene?" was all Tifa could get out.

"She's okay," Yuffie smiled, helping her down the hall. "You're friend Priscilla helped us. We got Marlene out and she's tucked away someplace safe with her. Come on we gotta move!"

"But what about—" Tifa wanted to say Reno, but she caught herself. The two men were fighting somewhere else now. Tifa feared for Reno. Although he was crafty and quick, he could only hold his own against Cloud for so long before something _really bad_ happened to him. She hoped he had the good sense to run away from him at some point. That was always Reno's main advantage: Speed. That, and he had nine lives. Like a cat.

"We have to go. You have to snap out of it," Yuffie shook her shoulders. Tifa never heard Yuffie so serious before.

Before they could get too far, however, they heard the echo of gunfire.

"Blondie's back!" Yuffie seethed. "We gotta jet! She's probably hyper-pissed!"

As crazy as their predicament was, Tifa was relieved that Yuffie was with her. She always lifted her spirits. She always had her back. She tossed some smoke bombs behind her as they ran full speed toward the exit, chased by Vayda's screams of frustration and choking coughs.

"That'll show her!" Yuffie punched a fist in the air. "Nobody tries to kill my best friend and gets away with it!" she emphasized by pointing a thumb at herself as she grinned.

In spite of herself, Tifa smiled, "Yeah. Because then I'd be dead, Yuf."

Yuffie snorted in response, "_Specifics..._"

Her mind wandered to Cloud and Reno again, but before she could wonder too much, Yuffie dragged her out of the collapsing building and into the open, which was a whole 'nother level of pandemonium.

"Jeez, you'd think Weapon was attacking. AGAIN. Freakin' Junon," Yuffie rolled her eyes before leading Tifa to their next destination.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey everyone I'm back! **

**So this chapter is a little bit of a "breather", if you will.**

**Don't worry. We'll get back to the action soon ;)**

**As always, FFVII and its respective characters belong to Square-Enix. No money is being made from this work of fiction.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything hurt.

The air on her skin hurt. The light beyond her eyelids hurt. The breath in her lungs hurt.

"NnnnNNgghhh!" Tifa's fatigue-heavy form writhed in pain as she attempted to sit up, but that was cut short as a firm hand eased her back down.

"Shhh, take it easy. Take it eaaaasy."

That low, calm voice only ever came from one person:

Cloud.

Tifa's eyes snapped open, torturing her with a flash of light before adjusting to a blurry Cloud hovering over her.

"What happened?" she half-whispered to the man who was now above her.

Cloud simply frowned in response.

Just then, select images and scenarios replayed in her memory:

::She and Yuffie hijacking the incline to reach the airfield :: The image of Cloud battling with Reno, Elena, and the deceiver Katana (aka Byron), or whoever he was :: The flash of a smirk from the deceiver as he pierced the flesh of her thigh with his aptly-named weapon -during a particularly shaky, poorly executed high kick::

Tifa realized quickly that she had trouble whipping out her best moves. She was out of practice and still fighting off the sedatives in her system. It didn't help matters that she wasn't equipped with any Materia or Potions, either. She vaguely remembered Reno casting a Pyramid on her too. She always hated that move.

"Why did he DO that?!" she yelled out in spite of herself, momentarily forgetting that Cloud was basically right on top of her.

"Because he's the enemy," Cloud stared her down, his tone dead-serious.

It didn't matter what Tifa could have been referring to, what mattered was that Cloud KNEW. He knew it was something shitty, and he knew that the perpetrator was Reno.

Tifa stilled, returning his gaze before shifting uncomfortably away from him. She attempted to sit up again but stopped half-way, yelping in pain as she gently moved her right leg. She was messed up, all right. Her thigh looked (and felt) as though it had been sliced right through, skewered like a piece of meat.

"God Dammit!" she sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. When the heck was she going to learn her lesson? -To stop being so hasty. She always wound up getting hurt and/or getting stabbed, in more ways than one.

She decided to lie down again in an attempt to avoid Cloud's suspicious, bloodshot eyes.

"Where are we?" she asked softly as she stared at the wall. It was a familiar place. Everything smelled like oil and must, and the floor was made of gravel.

"Rocket Town."

Tifa looked at the ceiling. This wasn't Cid's house, so she pressed further, "Where?"

"The old tool shed. Shera put a bed out here and turned it into a crash pad."

"Hmm," Tifa replied in understanding. "The kids?"

"They're in the house. I didn't think you'd want them to see you like this," he laced his fingers together in front of his mouth, hunching forward on his stool with his elbows on his knees.

"So what happened," she shielded her eyes with her forearm, trying to calm the piercing headache that was pulsating behind her eyes.

"Rufus got out. Nobody knows where he is now. Probably in a bunker under Midgar somewhere. Barrett got into the building with Red and Priscilla and they got Marlene out. They hacked the output monitors and broadcast the footage that Barrett was given by some outlet that he's been working with," Cloud sighed as he ran a hand through his messy blonde hair. "I don't ask questions anymore." He sat up and leaned back against the wooden wall behind him, folding his arms in front of his chest.

"What else?" she pressed on, continuing to cover her eyes, placing her other hand upon her stomach in a calming fashion.

"Yuffie and I infiltrated the other end of the complex to get you out. I can't say I was surprised when I saw you at the mercy of two Turks."

Tifa clenched her teeth. What did he mean by _that_?!

"One Turk," she corrected.

"From what I saw there were two," he continued, unshaken. "I fought him for a solid twenty minutes. I honestly didn't know he had it in him. Yuffie got you away from the other one, the woman. We regrouped at the airfield. It didn't go well. They had heavy artillery and you got hit hard by another Turk."

Tifa sighed, "Reno was helping me."

Cloud scoffed, "It didn't look like he was helping you _at all_."

"Well he was," she huffed in frustration.

"Is that what you tell yourself?" Cloud was getting heated now as she heard him stand, pushing the stool back with his legs, "You've deluded yourself so much that even when he's an inch away from killing you that he's **_'helping' you?!_**".

What Cloud saw was Reno pointing his EMR in Tifa's face. She knew that Reno was preparing to strike Vayda. She knew how it must have looked from Cloud's perspective, so now she had to run damage control, "It may not have looked like it, but he was trying to stop her from killing me."

Trying her very best to remain calm, Tifa slowly peeled her arm away from her face to look up at him. What she saw shouldn't have surprised her: Cloud was enraged.

"What then? He would have killed his comrade and you two would have run off and lived happily ever after?" he kicked the stool and turned away. He was really trying to burn her now.

"Cloud," she tried. He found out about her and Reno. How? She didn't quite know. But he knew.

"He fought me like I was taking something away from him," he visibly shook. He was speaking more to himself than to Tifa now, as if he had come to home horrifying realization, "He fought harder than I ever saw him fight…"

Tifa cast her eyes downward, unable to look at him.

Quickly, he spun around to face her: "What _the fuck_ have you two _done?_"

She remained silent. Even if she wanted to speak, she highly doubted that any sound would come out. Her vocal chords were paralyzed from shame and harsh judgement.

"I always thought you were smarter than this," his tone softened a bit with her continued silence.

Tifa shifted again, sucking in another breath as seething pain shot up her leg and into her solar plexus. She settled again as the silence stretched on. The pleasant sound of birds chirping and wind chimes floated in the distance. Everything was so calm and serene outside. It was a stark contrast to the emotional hurricane that was swirling within the tiny shed that she and Cloud now inhabited.

All too soon Cloud's words cut through the calm eye of the storm, "Are you in love with him, too?"

There was a lot about that statement that made her insides churn and her pulse race as she began to panic. She focused a little too much on the _'him, too'_ part. Did Cloud mean that he thought she was in love with both him _and_ Reno? Or that he surmised that Reno was in love with her and he wanted to know if she reciprocated? Truth be told, she had no clue what or how she felt, and she didn't need Cloud interrogating her about it.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" was all that she could get out. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep. "I don't want to talk about it! It's over and done with! I just need a potion and I want to sleep this off. I can't deal with you yelling at me right now…" she groaned.

Before they could go any further there was a knock at the metal shed door. Cloud looked up, looked down at Tifa, and then looked back to the door before striding over to whip it open. Tifa struggled to sit up to see who it was as she heard a sweet little voice beyond Cloud:

"…and some orange leaf tea to wash it down. Shera said it's Cid's favorite! It helps with the bitter taste. Can I say 'hi' to her? Please? It'll only take a minute."

A soft smile spread across Tifa's face.

Marlene, her little love, had unknowingly come to her rescue.

Cloud let her in and excused himself. It was evident that he wasn't getting anywhere with Tifa right now, so he left without another word. Marlene entered, carefully balancing a small tray with her little hands as she made her way to Tifa's bedside. She set the tray down, and checked Tifa's forehead with the back of her hand in a motherly fashion.

"How do you feel?" Marlene asked in a tone that was far too serious for a little girl.

Tifa's smile widened, "I'm fine, thank you. How about you?"

Marlene placed a hand on her hip, "I brought you a hi-potion and some tea, Doctor Cid's orders!"

Tifa giggled, "_Doctor_ Cid?"

Malrene giggled, too, "Yeah. He's an old grump, _buuuut_ you don't question the doctor!"

"I'm pretty sure Doctor Cid's remedy for _everything_ is tea," Tifa joked as she slowly sat up, grabbing the potion from the tray, uncapping it before throwing it back. Marlene had a cup of tea poured and ready to go, handing it to Tifa to sip on while the potion worked its magic.

"Hey this is pretty good," Tifa perked up at the pleasant flavor, as well as the pleasant tingling that was surging through her wounded area. Her battered leg was healing quickly.

"It's orange leaf tea!" Marlene beamed. "I helped Shera pick the leaves from the orange tree in the yard. We're baking some sweet orange scones, too. They're really yummy!"

"Wow," Tifa's eyes widened playfully. "You're turning into quite the chef!"

"Uh-huh! Maybe I'll have my own restaurant someday. And you can be my bartender!" Marlene smiled wide as she sat crisscrossed on the edge of Tifa's bed.

"Aw. Thank you for thinking of me. It's nice to know that I'll be employed in my old age," Tifa smiled as she continued to sip her tea. She finished her cup and placed it on the tray before sitting up and extending her arms to Marlene. Marlene happily dove in for an embrace. Tifa held her close as she ran her hand through her hair. "Did anyone try to hurt you?" she whispered as she rocked her back and forth.

"No. I'm fine. And Daddy and Red came for me! And a nice girl named Priscilla helped me get to The Sierra. She said she was your friend!" Marlene pulled back so that she and Tifa could talk face-to-face.

Tifa was serious now, "What about the Turks? Did anybody hurt you?"

Marlene held Tifa's hands, "No. They were pushy, but nobody hurt me. And Rufus is a real jerk! I hope he drowns.

"Marlene!" Tifa laughed in shock.

"What? He wanted to hurt Daddy. And he was going to hurt you! ShinRa is the reason that the planet got so messed up. I hate him!" Marlene's voice cracked.

Tifa hugged her. Hard.

"I won't let anyone take you ever again," she promised, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I've been so stupid these past few weeks and I'm sorry."

Marlene pulled back and held her hand, "I don't think you're stupid. I think you're really brave!"

Tifa smiled softly, but it never reached her eyes.

Marlene peeked out the small window to make sure no one was nearby before returning to a seated position. She leaned in to whisper to Tifa, "You know, Reno was nice to me. There was another Turk who yelled at him on the whole chopper ride. I didn't like her at all. Was she the one who strapped you to the table?"

Tifa gasped, "How did you know about that?"

"I saw it on a big TV. President Shinra showed it to me. He said that if didn't do what he told me to do, he was gonna hurt you."

Tifa pulled her in for another hug, "I'm so sorry! I can't believe they did that to you! It'll never happen again, sweetie. I'm gonna stay right by your side from now on."

"I believe you!" Marlene giggled. "So did that lady put you there?"

Tifa wasn't sure what to say except, "Maybe. I really don't know. I just woke up there, and then Reno helped me out later on…"

"I think Reno really likes you," Marlene whispered.

Tifa tickled her in response, "Marlene Shh!"

"What?" she laughed. "He helped you, didn't he?"

"Marlene it's …complicated," she settled down again.

"What's complicated? You like him and he likes you, right?"

Tifa deliberated. It would be much simpler if the entire world didn't dictate that she and Reno had no business seeing each other. How do you explain that to a little girl, though? Marlene was a smart kid, wise beyond her years and very empathetic. Maybe in time she would understand. Maybe in time Tifa herself would understand…

Finally, she answered, "Maybe it will work out. Just not for a while. Right now, we have to figure out where we're going next."

Marlene lowered her voice to a whisper once more, "Daddy says he's going to an island. He said he wants me and you to go with him. _Just_ you and me…" she emphasized as her eyes went wide.

Tifa took this information in. An island? Mideel. It had to be. While they were still in Midgar, Barrett disclosed that he was working for a group out of the small island resort town where the Lifestream had opened up. But what exactly was he planning now? She had to talk to him. He couldn't honestly expect her to continue to enable his risky behavior that had ultimately led Marlene into harm's way. And what about Denzel? Where did this leave him? She couldn't very well abandon him, either.

"I think I have to have a chat with your dad," Tifa finalized. "Where is he now?"

Marlene hopped up and opened the door, "He's in the house with Cid and everyone. It'll be dinner time soon. Shera wants us all washed up before we eat. You coming?"

Tifa swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her leg was fully healed, but now she noticed that she was a bit wobbly from lack of nutrients. She couldn't even remember the last time she ate anything.

"Yeah I'm coming. Food first. Then your dad and I are gonna talk."

"Okay!" Marlene hopped up and down before she and Tifa made their way out the door and down the dusty path to Cid and Shera's humble abode.

The sun drifted over the horizon as sweet orange and vanilla filled the air.

"Tifa?"

"Mm?"

"Maybe if we live on an island you can open a new bar and I can be your cook?" Marlene asked hopefully.

_ Little kids have the biggest dreams,' _Tifa mused. "Maybe," she smiled down to the sweet young girl next to her. "I'd like that."

The girls walked hand-in-hand into the house. It remained unspoken that as long as they were together, they could face whatever happened next.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi guys!**

**How is everyone doing? I'm gearing up for Christmas here in the states. It's an awfully busy time of year around here, but I figured I needed to slow down for a bit to continue writing. I had a breakthrough with my writers block ^_^ I have everything planned out in my head, so expect some more chapters to pop up in the coming weeks. I'm just working on refining everything ATM.**

**This story is so much fun for me!**

**Reno will be back really soon, I promise! (Just- not yet). **

**Absence makes the heard grow fonder and all that...**

**Anyway, here's another chapter for you. Things are getting interesting for Miss Lockhart =)**

**FFVII and all of it's characters belong to SQUENIX, not me, I make no money, disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer...**

**NJOY!**

* * *

"I ain't got time to be triflin' round Rocket Town! I gotta get back ta Mideel, Teef! "

After a particularly awkward dinner, Tifa and Barret found themselves together in the old tool shed, deliberating their next move.

Dinner was as pleasant as it could be. Denzel pushed his food around on his plate, disinterested in the drama of the adults around him. Marlene sat close to Tifa, eagerly listening as they recapped what happened in Junon while Cid, Barrett, and Yuffie bickered about the shaky maneuver Cid apparently pulled in order to rescue the team from Junon airfield. Shera lingered in the background, tending to food on the stove, unwilling to get involved in the heated conversation. And Cloud… was nowhere to be found. Tifa figured he was probably off sulking somewhere as usual.

"Okay but what about your daughter? She's been through so much already. How much longer are you going to keep this up? The planet needs renewable energy. Don't you want to help _that_ cause? Or is that not a priority for you anymore?" Tifa tried to reason with her short-fused friend. Barret was always in such a hurry… He rarely stopped to think, to let his brain catch up with his emotions.

Barret sighed as he sat down at the edge of the bed -which caused it to elicit a loud squeaking noise from the strain of his massive form. "You KNOW I do, but this shit thas' been happenin' -maaan, it's like these bad guys- they just ain't gonna give up! Not now. Not eva."

Tifa walked over and sat beside him, choosing her words carefully before responding, "I'm not sure what's bad and what's good anymore, B. I don't know what side we're on. How many sides are there, really? I know we want a healthy planet so our kids can have a good future, but what about right now? Marlene needs her dad, she needs you. And she needs me. And we let something like _this_ happen to her…"

"I know," he spoke softly. "I jus' know if we don't do sumpin', then nobody will. Thas' why I gotta keep fightin'" he clenched his metal hand with resolve.

"Mm," Tifa nodded in understanding.

"Tell me sumpin'," he flexed his metal hand, examining it. "What I been hearin' 'bout you an' dat skinny redheaded fool who dropped the plate? 'Sat true?" He stole a sideways glance at her now.

There it was. She couldn't hide from the truth any longer. Tifa blew her bangs from her face before falling backwards onto the bed. She chose instead to stare at the ceiling rather than responding to that one damning question.

She heard a grunt from Barret before he continued, "Hm. I woulda neva guessed you liked pale _ginger _dudes. 'Specially ones who don't mind killin' ya whole 'hood."

Tifa cringed at that observation. Still, Barret was surprisingly calm about the whole idea that she and Reno had been up to something together.

"Who told you?"

She closed her eyes now, trying to ease the throbbing in her head.

"Who'd ya think?" he grunted.

"How does he know?" she rubbed the bridge of her nose. She still didn't know how Cloud found out about her and Reno, she only knew that he knew, and that was quite enough for her to have to deal with (and only a few minutes after she regained consciousness earlier in the day. Talk about a headache…).

"He said he was comin' ta see ya after last call over a week ago. Said he wanted to talk. Said he saw you leavin' -holdin' hands with _'El Diablo'_\- lookin' mighty _amorous_ together," Barret finished with a 'Tch'. "S'posedly it happened the night befo' I came rollin' in. Was you with him all night? Marlene said you got home at seven in the **_mo-nin'_**!" Barret looked over his shoulder at her now in disbelief.

Tifa didn't know what to say. She was caught so there was no use in lying about it now. She sighed. It felt like she was being interrogated by her dad, which was ridiculous. She was a grown-ass woman who could do what she wanted, when she wanted, with whomever she wanted.

Except _this_ –This was tricky.

This was Reno. This was a Turk. This was a threat. This wasn't good.

"Okay. Listen," she sat up again to face Barret, "I started _seeing_ Reno, yes. But obviously it's not going to work. It was never going to work, so I just want to forget about it. Can we please pretend that it never happened?" She was surprised at her own words.

"Yeah. Shoot, we can_ pretend_. But it don't mean it didn't happen," he scoffed.

"I just want to move past it, B," she tried. "I just want to forget about it and figure out what we do next."

Barret stood, brushing some dirt off his shoulder before turning to face her, "We goin' to Mideel. You, Me, and Marlene. Denzel gonna stay wit Cid and Shera."

"**WHAT?!**" Tifa shot up. "Denzel—!"

"He wants ta stay with Cid, Teef," he cut her off before she could protest. "The kid can learn a thing or two here in Rocket Town. The kid wanna fly," Barret made a soaring motion with his hands.

"But he should be with us! We're his family!" she was on the brink of tears now.

"Yeah and Cid and Shera like his family now, too. Better he be wit people who ain't gonna let him down like us," Barret gave her a defeated face.

He was right. She hated to admit it, but he was right. Cloud was hardly around, and Barret even less. And Tifa, well, she tried her hardest, but she couldn't give him what he needed. Not now. Now, Denzel needed to soar -and Cid could give him wings.

"I know," she bowed her head in understanding. Denzel was such a good kid. He deserved to live the life he wanted -to not get dragged into their messes. He'd been through enough. Pretty soon he would be a man, and pretty soon he might even be one of the people who would help save the planet.

Tifa resigned herself to the thought that she had to let him go. However, she consoled herself with the fact that he would be surrounded by good people, and that he was only a phone call away…

Within a week, Barret, Tifa, and Marlene departed for Mideel. Cloud left that night after dinner, and hadn't been heard from since.

Denzel settled into his new home with Cid and Shera. He was all set to become a junior cadet on the Sierra by the end of the month. Marlene kissed him on the cheek before leaving, "Promise you'll write me?"

"You bet," Denzel blushed before they embraced, exchanging their innocent goodbyes. "I'll call you once I get enough Gil for a PHS, ok?"

"Okay," Marlene beamed.

Barret watched the exchange with the wary eyes of a father who loved his daughter fiercely. "Man, they sho' grow up fast," he said off-handedly to Tifa.

She stood on tip-toe to pat Barret on the shoulder in a comforting fashion, "They certainly do."

After listening to Cid holler that he wasn't made of fuel credits, the trio boarded the airship en-route to Mideel.

Only Marlene looked back.

* * *

After a particularly muggy afternoon spent trudging in the tropical rain, the trio reached their destination.

"Everything here is slimy!" Marlene cried as they approached the little jungle town.

Mideel was hot, humid, sticky, and densely forested. This was a tropical island where downpours were common, which was something that they all had to get used to. Tifa, however, was already somewhat accustomed to Mideel's climate -since she spent the better part of a month taking care of Cloud when he emerged there from his dip in the Lifestream.

The former resort town had been destroyed when Weapon attacked and now much of it was submerged. A new town, however, popped up in the years since Meteorfall and the area began to thrive once more. The hot springs provided healing waters to visitors from all over the globe, and the area became a tourist destination once more.

But another off-set of Mideel's revival was that the surrounding jungle had become a hotbed for drug trafficking and illegal materia trade, as well as protective cover for covert guerilla mercenary organizations. One of which had something to do with why Barret had brought them here.

Barret led them into town as the rain let up. A few rays of sunshine peeked through the clouds, revealing the lush colors of the jungle around them.

"We almost there, Baby girl," he assured Marlene as he hoisted her up on his back, giving her a piggy-back ride as they made their way through the heart of the small town. Tifa adjusted her backpack as she jogged behind Barret, taking in the ethereal view of the Lifestream as it flowed like a river to the sea.

He led them to a discreet hut at the edge of town. It appeared to be a typical Mideel home with bamboo walls and a grass-covered roof. Barret pulled the curtain at the entrance aside to reveal an empty space. Tifa took a tentative step into the hut behind him as he set Marlene down.

"What are we doing here?" Tifa questioned with a hand on her hip as Barret extracted his PHS from his vest.

"You'll see," Barret grinned as he formulated a text, closed his PHS, and crossed his arms as he tapped his foot impatiently.

Tifa was genuinely surprised when a head popped up from the ground - It was a little girl! She looked to be about Marlene's age, with dark skin and braided hair. She came from what looked like a secret entrance, a trap door of sorts, hidden by a layer of sand and dead palm leaves.

Barret was apparently startled by the appearance of the young girl, too: "A-yo Janice! How many times I told you -give me a knock before ya pop up like dat!"

"Hiiii Barret!" she smiled with the gap-toothed grin of a young girl whose baby teeth were just beginning to fall out.

Barret knelt down next to her, "Janice, I brought my family wit me. I want ya ta meet my baby girl, Marlene," he motioned towards the other little girl in the room. Marlene stood where she was and waved tentatively, unsure of why her daddy was talking so closely with this little girl she knew nothing about.

Janice looked Marlene up and down, then looked back to Barret, "She yo daughter?"

Barret shook his head 'yes'.

Janice cocked an eyebrow at Marlene, "But she ain't black."

Barret laughed a little at this, "Yeah and neitha is yo daddy!"

"Ohhh!" Janice leaned back now, understanding. "She adopted. Like me!" she pointed a thumb at herself.

"Yeah Janice. She adopted. And I love her as much as yo daddy love you," he smiled warmly at Marlene.

Marlene made her way over to the newly-discovered hole in the ground and knelt down next to Barret, extending her hand in greeting, "I'm Marlene. Nice to meet you."

Janice took her hand and shook it, "Likewise. I'm Janice. I run dis place."

This caused Barret to laugh, "Yeah ya do. Lil' Miss Bossy. You gon' be nice to my baby girl? Show her 'round and get her settled in?"

Janice gave him a salute, "Yessir."

Tifa cleared her throat.

Barret, Marlene, and Janice all turned toward her as she gave a little wave, "Hi."

Barret stood and strode over to Tifa, grabbing her by the shoulders and shuffling her towards the hole in the ground, "And DIS—Dis da greatest fighter in the world – Tifa Lockheart. She my best friend. She stayin' wit us too. Sound good?"

Janice put her hands on her hips, "Greatest in the _WORLD_? Hm I gotta see about dat. You gonna have to demonstrate if you wanna be a part of _this_ gang," Janice cocked her head sassily.

Tifa knelt down to meet Janice face-to-face, "Sure thing. Where do we go from here?"

Janice smiled wide, "Underground. Follow me."

The trio followed the young girl through the secret opening and through series of winding tunnels that were lit by unrefined materia. Marlene walked alongside Janice as they chit-chatted about where they were headed.

"My daddy the big boss down here," Janice asserted. "He got an army of people from all ova. He yo daddy's boss, too. He can be scary sometimes, but he not so bad."

Marlene stole a glance back at Barret before turning to Janice and whispering, "My daddy can be scary, too. But he's not so bad, either."

Both girls laughed as they ran towards the light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel system led them to what looked like an old bunker. Men and women in camouflaged fatigues nodded at Barret and Janice as they passed by, and more than one of them glared at Tifa with eyes wide open (which was nothing out of the ordinary for Tifa). They ascended a set of concrete stairs that led to a metal ladder -and yet another trap door above them. Janice knocked in a set of different beats, a secret knock of sorts, before locks unlatching could be heard on the other side. A set of double doors opened above them as two women in fatigues hovered over them with shotguns held against their shoulders. None of this fazed Janice as she climbed up and walked right past them like she owned the place.

Past the two guards stood a man with his back turned to them. He appeared to be observing security footage on three large monitors in front of him. The room that they now occupied was about as large as the hut at the entrance, with the Mideel flag, old photographs, propaganda posters, a topographical map, and all different sized plaques lining the walls. The floor was lined with electronic equipment, wires, and stacks of unmarked wooden boxes.

Only Janice dared to approach the mysterious man with his back to them.

"Daddy," Janice said softly as she stood next to him. He extended his hand to her as an invitation to take hold of it. She grasped his hand with both of hers as she looked up at him, "Mista Wallace is back. He brought his family wit him, too!"

"I saw that," a deep voice responded to her gently before turning toward them. "Thank you for bringing them to me, Love. You're doing a great job as always," he stroked her hair gently before looking up at the trio who now stood before him.

Tifa gasped quietly at what she saw, trying her hardest to hold her composure:

The man in charge, the man who Janice had led them to, wasn't exactly out of the ordinary. He stood about six feet tall - tall, but not TOO tall. He had brown hair with a brown beard to match =both of which were showing signs of age with a few grey hairs forming around the edges. His appearance was rugged and manly but not too bulky. He was, in fact, and attractive older man. He wore green army fatigues with dog tags hanging from his neck, as well as big black combat boots. But there was something else, something which nearly threw Tifa completely off-balance: Underneath deep blue eyes with tanned wrinkles around the edges; Something partially hidden behind brown stubble that lined the his cheek bones; Something that was still pretty obvious to anyone who dared to look:

Red marks.

Tattoos.

Tifa recalled her conversation with Priscilla from the night she that was captured by Katana:

_"__You know how Reno got those tattoos on his face? They're the mark of a precision-killer. He's killed more than a hundred people. I've only ever seen those tattoos on one other person in my life, and he was a scary-looking mercenary from Mideel…"_

Tifa's eyes wandered south of the man's face to rest upon a grisly-looking scar on his neck, which was also partially-hidden by stubble. It appeared as though this man had his throat slit -and somehow survived.

Tifa knew she should be scared now, as she pulled Marlene closer to her. Her mind swirled with so many questions, but she figured it would be best to remain quiet for the time being.

"Glad to see you made it back in one piece, Wallace," the man said as he made his way over to Barret, placing a sturdy hand on Barret's shoulder before the two men embraced briefly, patting each other on the back.

"You know me, Harrison. Ain't nothin gonna kill me!" Barret bellowed.

"That's why you're with me!" he bellowed back before turning his attention to Marlene and Tifa. "And who are these lovely ladies?" he smiled warmly in their direction.

"The little one my baby girl Marlene, and da big one's my dear friend, Marlene's Aunt Tifa," Barret crossed his arms in a proud fashion.

Harrison made his way over to the girls, taking each one by the hand to dispense a formal handshake, "Pleased to meet you, ladies. I'm General Harrison of the Mideel Militia Corp. You are both welcome here as guests for as long as you may need," he got on one knee in front of Marlene to speak to her at eye-level, "Your father is a great asset and a dear friend. You should be very proud of the work he's doing to protect our planet and the people who inhabit it -keeping it safe from the corporations who don't care whether we live or die. He's a good man," he engulfed her tiny hand with both of his larger ones as he held it warmly. Marlene couldn't help but smile back at him as he stood to speak to Tifa now: "Please feel free to come to me with any issues that should arise during your stay with us. I want you both to be comfortable in our care. Janice will show you both to your quarters. Dinner will be served promptly at seventeen hundred hours. Janice, would you please retrieve these ladies when it's time for dinner?"

Janice shook her head up and down quickly.

Tifa didn't utter a word, she simply nodded and smiled before turning her gaze to Barret.

"Imma catch up witchu girls at dinner. I gotta stay here fo da debriefing, aight?"

Tifa nodded again before following Marlene and Janice back through the opening in the floor.

Her questions would have to wait until later. She would gather all of the information she could at dinner before approaching Barret with her concerns about his current employer.

Things just kept getting more and more complicated.

"Like always…" Tifa sighed to herself.

* * *

**_To be continued..._**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey everyone!**

**Thank you again to the new followers and for the kind reviews. They mean so much to me ^_^  
**

**So here's another chapter for you. There is so much good stuff coming your way. You have NO IDEA (::sneaky laugh::) I've been on a roll with writing future filthy chapters, so stay tuned!**

**Also, big news, I'm going to MagFest D.C. next month! I'm totally pumped! Is anybody else going? Fun, fun for everyone!**

**Disclaimer: FFVII Doesn't, nor will it ever, belong to me. No money is being made from this work of fiction.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"HIIIIII-EEEE!" Yuffie's voice pierced through speakers attached to the computer that Tifa was currently sitting in front of.

"Hi Yuf," Tifa smiled back at the video image in front of her.

In the two weeks since their arrival in Mideel, Tifa and Marlene had settled-in (somewhat). They were, however, looking for a place to live above ground, rather than in the dusty bunker where they had been staying with the Mideel Militia Corp. Tifa wasn't any closer to knowing any more about their leader, Harrison, or the mysterious tattoos on his face (which coincidentally matched Reno's own markings).

Barret came and went frequently, but today he was out on an assignment in the Icicle area. Tifa made it clear that she wanted little to no involvement with the militia group that he was currently contracted to, but she agreed to stay in Mideel to help raise Marlene nearby. Barret gave her the green light to scope out the town for a suitable living space, and possibly even a spot for a new bar if she so desired.

In the meantime, Janice helped Tifa and Marlene set up a secure video chat connection from the computer in their shared bedroom. This enabled Tifa to check in with Cid and Shera about Denzel, as well as with Yuffie in Wutai. It was also a great way for Marlene and Denzel to keep in touch, since there was minimal cell service in Mideel for sending or receiving PHS calls. Marlene chatted with Denzel on the computer every night after dinner while Janice teased her relentlessly about her "cute boyfriend".

"What's going on down there near the Lifestream? Don't fall in! You'll get mako poisoning!" Yuffie snickered.

"Oh believe me," Tifa bantered back, "You'll never catch me anywhere near it. One time was enough for me, thanks. I _know_ what it does to people."

"Yep-yep!" Yuffie laughed nervously, consciously avoiding the subject of Cloud now. "Sooooo what are you and Barret and the kiddo up to? Saving the world together without me?"

Tifa sighed audibly, "No, just Barret, I'm afraid. I prefer the quiet life. I've done my share of saving the planet. Now I just want to grow old on the beach in peace."

"Oh Puh-LEASE," Yuffie scoffed. "You're just moping because… because Reno!"

Tifa winced. Well that was certainly uncalled for.

"I am not."

"Oh come ON!" Yuffie accused. "You're pissed because it didn't work out and he went back to being a Shinra dick - like he always _was_. You knew that. That doesn't mean you should lose your zest! Where's the fight in you, girl? Isn't that what you're all about?"

Tifa sat back in her chair, crossing her arms and looking away. She hated to admit it but Yuffie was right. If she wasn't going to fight,why was she even here? Just because it wasn't going to work with Reno, or Cloud, or any other guy right now, didn't mean she should stop being lively, to stop helping where help was needed, to stop fighting for causes she believed in.

She huffed in defeat, "You're right. There's a lot of training equipment here. I really should get back into shape. I got my ass kicked pretty good back in Junon, huh?"

"I blame the drugs. You know there was still a needle in your vein after we got a hold of you?" Yuffie tried to make her feel a little better by pointing out that Shinra's sedation kept her from performing at full, ass-kicking capacity.

"Yeah, but still, I used to be able to fight my way out of all sorts of poisons and spells. I'm _really_ out-of-practice, Yuf."

"Well then get back into practice, woman! Bust open some punching bags for Shiva's sake!" Yuffie emphasized with an uppercut.

Tifa leaned into the monitor now, speaking sofly in case anyone outside her room was listening, "Tell me something. Was Reno… was he hurt badly? I mean – from his fight with Cloud?"

Yuffie settled into her seat again, leaning in closely now, too."Yeah," she said with her eyes downcast. "He was pretty fucked up, but he kept going. You really don't remember any of it?"

Tifa shook her head 'no', so Yuffie continued, "So, when we got to the top, we were ambushed by a couple of Turks I never saw before. One had a longsword and he backed us against a wall. I cast lightning on his ass and then Reno showed up, followed by Cloud looking like a Chocobo outta hell! Then the blondie that hates you- she showed up too. It was a giant mess if I ever saw one! While I was fighting with one of the other newbies, the guy with the longsword came after you. You tried to kick him but you were too slow and, well…"

"I got sliced the fuck open," Tifa sighed, leaning forward on her elbows.

"Precisely," Yuffie winked and pointed. "Then, all of a sudden there was a shiny gold triangle around you and none of us could get at you. Except Cloud. Eventually he got through, though."

"Pyramid," Tifa corrected.

Yuffie looked confused, "Triangle, pyramid, trapezoid, whatever!"

"No," Tifa elaborated, "Pyramid is one of Reno's go-to materia skill spells. It disables his opponents. I can't _believe_ he did that to me. What an asshole…" she clenched her teeth in anger.

Yuffie was quiet for a moment, as if she was contemplating something.

"What?" Tifa cocked an eyebrow.

"Teef," she began, "I think Reno probably did it to protect you. You know, from hurting yourself further, and to keep from Blondie getting at you."

Tifa's eyes widened with realization. Oh man…

"So, what happened after he cast it?" Tifa leaned in again.

"Cloud saw an inch and he went in for the kill, so to speak," Yuffie divulged as she fiddled with her nails. "He tackled Reno to the ground and nearly strangled him! Barret and Red showed up after that. Barret had to drag Cloud away from Reno. It was nuts! Then Cloud came over and busted through the Pyramid and carried you out as it disintegrated. He carried you to the ship. He wouldn't let anybody touch you, either. Ohmigawd and how 'bout Cid nearly took out an entire fleet of grounded WRO fighter planes as he pulled up to get us! Unbelievable!" Yuffie tumbled backwards with laughter, "Stupid old man!"

Tifa absorbed all of this new information while Yuffie composed herself through her fit of laughter. So Reno was protecting her? It seemed possible. She hoped he was okay. It wasn't the first time Cloud messed him up good, but this time Cloud had more strength, more skills, and a personal vendetta riding with him. If Barret hadn't showed up, he probably would have killed the "meddling Turk" once and for all. Tifa shuddered at the thought.

"Well, I hope he's alright," her voice was a bit shaky now. She was comforted by the memory of a sheepish, smiling Reno standing in the doorway at 7th Heaven: _'I'm like a stray cat, yo.'_

If he was, in fact, a stray cat, he had to have a few lives left …right?

"I'm sure he's fiiiiiiine," Yuffie dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "If he's out of commission now, you know he'll be all better and back to his old antics in no time."

"Hm," Tifa still wasn't completely convinced, but she decided not to focus on it much more. "What about Cloud? Have you heard from him at all?"

"Nope!" Yuffie smiled. "Same old Cloud! These boys are nothin' but a headache, huh?"

"To say the very least," Tifa held her forehead as she smiled back at her friend through the screen. "So," she began again, "I'm considering opening a bar here in Mideel and—"

Tifa was cut off by a high-pitched female squeal through her speakers. Apparently Yuffie was amused.

"…And I'm gonna need to get back to Edge at some point to get supplies," she continued, unfazed. "Seventh Heaven is still packed with liquor, kegs, glassware, furniture, everything. It'll have to be a night operation so we don't draw too much attention. Can you help?"

Yuffie chided, "Pah! Can. I. Help. What do I look like? NOT a NINJA?!" She leaned in so that her whole face was taking up the entire screen now, "Covert night operations are my specialty, Ma'am!"

"I knew you were good for _something_," Tifa teased.

"HEY!" Yuffie feigned hurt feelings with a pouty lip.

"Okay, I'll be in touch soon to sort out the details. How about we chat tomorrow night at the same time? The sooner we get to Edge the better. Hopefully Shinra hasn't ransacked the place."

"Sounds good," Yuffie saluted. "Over and out!"

"Nite Yuf."

Tifa clicked off the monitor and the screen went black.

* * *

After breakfast the following morning, Tifa found herself face-to-face with a large punching bag in the underground training facility. It was fairly quiet at this time of the morning since most of the troops utilized the gym just after dawn. The mid-morning reprieve was Tifa's chance to train in private. She spent the better portion of an hour beating the hell out of the punching bag, imagining Vayda's smug face the entire time.

When she returned to the room that she and Marlene shared, worn out and ready for a hot shower, she heard little voices coming from inside. Janice and Marlene seemed to be giggling about one thing or another as Tifa entered the room.

"Hi Tifa!" the girls said in unison as the older girl made her presence known.

"Hey there," she smiled down at them. They were both seated on the floor, Janice behind Marlene, braiding her hair in rows as Marlene flipped through a magazine. "Whatcha up to?"

"Janice is giving me an island hairdo. She said she's gonna fix my boring white girl hair," Marlene said nonchalantly as she thumbed the pages of the tattered old magazine. Tifa couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped from her lips, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.

"You think daddy will like it?" she smiled up at Tifa.

"Course he gonna like it!" Janice butt-in.

"I'm sure he'll love it," Tifa added as she extracted a fluffy towel from a shelf on the wall. "I'm gonna hop in the shower, girls. Janice, would you mind braiding _my_ boring white girl hair, too, later on?"

"Helllll yeah!" Janice didn't skip a beat as she expertly braided Marlene's locks. "I been itching to get at that hair since ya'll got here. Maybe we can trade? I give you some braids if you show me some fightin' moves -since you _apparently_ the best around, huh?"

"Deal," Tifa agreed with a nod.

Tifa relished the hot water as she lathered up her hair. She had let it grow long so it nearly reached the back of her knees once again. She had cut it to shoulder length two years prior, back when she reopened Seventh Heaven in Edge. Back when they all fought the Sephiroth clones, back when Geostigma was at its height. Geostigma didn't plague the people of Mideel, however. She assumed it had something to do with its proximity to the Lifestream in its purest form...

Anyhow, she cut her hair short because it only served to be a hindrance during battle. But since there were very few battles to be fought after the Sephiroth Clones and Deepground, she had let her hair return to its signature length.

Then, as most good ideas manifest in the meditation of bathing, a lightbulb went off in Tifa's head: _'Janice…!'_ Janice was her ticket to finding out more about Harrison, since Barret remained tight-lipped. Janice could maybe give her some insight into why his face was marked like Reno's, and if possibly he even _KNEW_ Reno… Somehow…

Maybe Janice could help her piece together everything that was going on around her. She felt as though she had been swept up by a tornado that kept spitting her out and sucking her back in again. She needed to know exactly who Harrison was, and why Barret was crusading for him instead of reviving Avalanche on his own once more...

* * *

_Later, after dinner…_

Tifa found herself in the same position as Marlene had been earlier in the day - sitting criss-crossed on the floor with Janice braiding her hair as she flipped through magazines.

"Just a few braids, please. Tight row braids hurt my scalp and give me a headache," Tifa asked politely.

"Pshhh big baby. Marlene got her whole head done and she ain't whinin' about it!" Janice chided.

Marlene glanced back at them from her seat at the computer. She was currently chatting with Denzel as she sipped on a coconut with a staw. "Ya like my new 'do?" she asked the boy on the screen in front of her, proud of her exotic new look.

Denzel coughed a little and blushed. "It's… different," was all he could manage to say.

"I think it looks great," Tifa winked at her.

"She looks like a QUEEN!" Janice hollered in Marlene's direction, making sure Denzel heard her. "You leave them braids in fo a week, babygirl, and then take 'em out for a fierce new look!"

Marlene returned her attention to Denzel, leaving Janice and Tifa free to talk.

"Who taught you how to braid like this?" Tifa asked over her shoulder.

"My momma did. She got the strongest hands I know 'sides my daddy," Janice said with an air of pride.

"Oh yeah? My mom taught me how to play piano. She had strong hands, too," Tifa smiled in fond remembrance.

"Fuh real? Dats cool. I only know how to play bongo. Erebody around here know how ta play bongos. Ya momma teach ya how to fight, too?"

"No," Tifa sighed. "Master Zangan taught me how to fight. He was my teacher after my mom passed away," she divulged. Janice's small hands softened their touch on the portion of scalp above her ear.

"Aw ya momma died? I'm sorry about dat…" she said sofly.

"Thank you," Tifa responded. "What about your mom? Do you live with her? Down here?"

Janice moved to grab a hand-mirror from a shelf nearby, holding it in front of Tifa so she could get a look at her handiwork. Tifa was stunned. She looked… gorgeous! Janice created three rows of slightly loose braids on the left side of Tifa's head, just above her ear. The braids were interwoven with small turquoise beads and a fuschia ribbon.

"I love it!" she exclaimed, fingering Janice's handiwork. The girl had skills.

Tifa turned to Marlene, "You like?"

"I like!" Marlene nodded her head in approval before turning back to Denzel again.

"My momma live down here, we both live with daddy. He not my real daddy though. My real daddy died right before I was born. Momma said he died workin' on a Mako reactor. We all hate ShinRa a whole lot around here. Daddy, my stepdaddy, used to work for SHinRa, too. He and my real daddy worked together. They was best friends. He married my momma after my real daddy died. Promised to take care of us and keep ShinRa out of Mideel. All these people workin' for him, they hate SHinRa, too."

Tifa sucked in a deep breath before stating, "ShinRa killed my dad, too. ShinRa destroyed my whole town when I was young…"

Janice stood up, dusting dirt off her pant legs, "Yeah. Seems ta be a lot of people's story. So you don't have a momma or daddy anymore, huh?"

"Unfortunately, no. But I have Marlene and Barret and lots of friends, so I'm okay."

"Dats good," Janice leaned against the metal frame of Marlene's bed.

Tifa knew that maybe she was jumping in too quickly, but she couldn't help but ask, "The tattoos on your dad's face, they're very unique. Do they mean something?"

Janice eyed Tifa warily now before answering, "They _mean_ my daddy's not someone to be messed wit." She crossed her arms before continuing, "Why ya askin' ?"

Tifa figured she'd better be honest. Janice was a smart girl who caught on quickly, "I met someone with similar tattoos once. I've never seen anyone else with them, is all."

Janice continued to study her, "Well whoeva they was, you lucky they didn't kill you."

Tifa hummed in response. She supposed Janice was right. She also noticed that Marlene had her ear turned to their conversation now, so she figured she'd better end it there.

"Marlene," she called over to her, "Computer time's up. You can walk Janice halfway back before bed. I have to call Yuffie now."

"Ohhhhkaaay," Marlene's little voice sighed before saying goodnight to Denzel.

Once the girls left, Tifa chatted with Yuffie for the better portion of an hour. They planned to meet up the following week in Kalm. They needed to come up with a strategy in the meantime to get back into Edge undetected. Tifa also had to scope out Mideel for potential business spaces. She had a few spots in mind. With a little elbow grease, she'd have a bar up and running in no time at all.

If she could get into and out of Edge alive, that is.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey Folks! Happy New Year! **

**Here's another chapter for you =)  
**

**Thank you to all my new followers and those of you who have been kind enough to leave me reviews. I really appreciate it!**

**FFVII and it's characters belong to Square-Enix and not me. No money is being made from this work of fiction.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

In the week leading up to her departure to Edge, Tifa spent the better portion of her time wandering around the "new and improved" Mideel with Janice and Marlene.  
Things had changed from the last time she visited, which was under a much different set of circumstances, all things considered. That time, she had been mainly confined to the clinic with Cloud, so she didn't really get much of a chance to enjoy her visit at such a critical point in time. At all.

"You mean ta tell me _YOU fell INTO the Lifestream_?" Janice asked in shock and horror -and a just slight touch of wonder and awe.

"I did," Tifa replied while sucking on a purple Popsicle as she walked alongside the younger girls.

Marlene was battling with a quickly-melting ice cream on a stick in the shape of a Chocobo, while Janice had just finished the last of her ice cream sandwich. Tifa treated the girls to a cold treat, courtesy of the local ice cream vendor who wandered the streets of Mideel on his bicycle. He pulled along an icebox covered by a colorful umbrella all over town, as well as up and down the rickety boardwalk at the beach. He tried flirting with Tifa by refusing to accept her payment, but she practically insisted that he take it. She didn't have any interest in handouts from men who simply found her attractive. She didn't have any interest in any of the local men, for that matter. It was true that the men of Mideel were on the whole, quite handsome: Well-built, tall with russet skin and dark hair. But Tifa only wanted one man, it seemed. No matter how hard she tried to keep it at bay, it didn't take long before a pale, red-headed charmer invaded her mind once again.

It was enough to make her head hurt. And maybe her heart too, just a little bit._  
_  
"Next she gonna show me how ta roundhouse kick," Janice boasted as the trio sat in the sand near the shore. She had led Tifa and Marlene to a quieter portion of the beach to relax for a bit. Tifa put her through the ringer that morning in the gym, so she figured they all could use a break.

Marlene had taken to floating around the bunker's kitchen area to pick up some tricks and tips about local cuisine from the head cook. She extracted some papaya chips from her satchel to pass around as they sat in the tropical sunshine. "These are really good, huh?" she smiled as she munched on the dried fruit. Tifa nodded in approval as she popped a chip in her mouth, smiling in return.

Tifa turned her attention back to Janice now, "Tomorrow we'll practice spinning, ducking, and rolling. It's good to learn proper dodging techniques before integrating attacks into them. You're doing really well."

"Imma fast learner," Janice said nonchalantly as she picked up and examined a conch shell.

"I can see that," Tifa encouraged. She cleared her throat before continuing, "I figured I should let you girls know today, I'm going out of town this weekend. I have to pick up some supplies for my new bar. I shouldn't be gone for more than a day or two."

Marlene picked up her head quickly, "Wait! Where are you going?! Can't I come with you?"

Tifa looked at Marlene with worry in her eyes. She knew leaving Marlene behind might have some emotional repercussions. After all, she had promised her that she wouldn't leave her side. But she couldn't risk bringing her back into Edge. Not after their last ordeal, no way. She knew that going back was a risky move. Normally she wouldn't do such a thing, however, there were still things there that she couldn't quite part with. Not yet. The key item that she was looking for was a strongbox that contained Jesse's hat, scarf, and leather gloves, old letters from Cloud, her mother's sheet music, photos of her parents, as well as a dried Lily from Aerith's church, Aerith's master Heal materia, and the carved Chocobo figurine that Master Zangan gave her for her thirteenth birthday… All of the things that she held near and dear to her heart.

"I'm going somewhere that's a bit dangerous right now. So you're going to stay safe here with Janice and her parents, Marlene," Tifa took Marlene by the hand in an effort to get her to understand. Marlene, in a fit of anger, snatched her hand back, holding it away from Tifa.

Marlene stood abruptly before pointing directly at her caretaker, "You said you'd stay with me! You said you'd never leave my side again!"

This cut Tifa deeply. She knew what she said, but it couldn't really be helped. She knew what she was doing was selfish, in a sense, but she knew Marlene was safe here in Mideel with the MMC. They showed them nothing but respect and kindness since they arrived, so she had no reason to suspect them of anything under-handed at their expense. That, and Barret would blow up the entire island if anyone laid a finger on her or Marlene.

"I know, sweetie," Tifa pleaded with her. "But I have to go back to Edge. I have to get back into our house and the bar. There's some stuff there that I need that I can't get anywhere else. It's too dangerous to take you with me now," she trailed off as she saw tears begin to well in Marlene's eyes.

Tifa claimed to be going back to Edge under the guise that she was merely retrieving supplies and cash from the bar, but she hoped and prayed that the strongbox still remained safely tucked under her bed. She also reserved a small spot in the back of her mind for the hope that she would catch any news about Reno, or something related to the latest incident at Junon. She and Marlene had been cut off from the mainstream media for a few weeks now in Mideel, so all she knew about the outside world was the snippets that she received via Cid, Yuffie, and Denzel. To be honest, it was refreshing to remain ignorant to the horrors and suffering around the globe. Living in Midgar, and then Edge, she had been inundated with the brutality of the cruel world for most of her teen and adult life. Here in Mideel, however, time seemed to stand still. It was a place of rest and reprieve, and she was grateful for the experience, however convoluted the events and circumstances that brought them here were.

Tifa's thoughts returned to Marlene as tears threatened to stream down her little face.

Sheesh. She was bad at this parenting thing. But then a lightbulb went off in her head:

"I'll tell you what," she tried, "Cid is coming to get me. How about if Denzel stays with you while I'm away? That way you and Janice can show him the island, and before you know it, I'll be back!"

Marlene froze up at that. She was caught in a bind. She wanted to be mad at Tifa, but she wanted to see her friend, too. So she settled somewhere in-between, "Denzel coming here isn't going to fix your broken promise."

Tifa sighed, pushing sand around with her toes, "I know. And I don't like making promises I can't keep. How about this instead? I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you're safe and happy, and even when I'm not around, I'll do everything I can to protect you. I just want you to be happy, sweetie. I want you to have a happier life than I did when I was your age…"

Marlene smiled faintly before sitting down next to Tifa again, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Okay. That works. But you'd better come back."

"I always will," Tifa smiled.

Janice cleared her throat, which caused both girls to look in her direction. She wiggled her eyebrows before asking, "So when's the cute boy you talk to every night comin' to town?"

* * *

"Muh Janice has really taken a liking tuh yoo and yuh …daughtuh?"

"Niece," Tifa corrected.

She now found herself in the midst of a beautiful garden, sipping tea while Dinah watered her Orchids.

Dinah was Janice's mother, a strong-willed woman with ebony skin and striking features. Her hair was tightly braided and woven atop her head, adorned with beads, ribbon, and feathers. She had high, strong cheekbones with eyes as black as night. She was tall and thin and wore a long turquoise dress held up with thin beaded straps. She walked in hemp sandals and smelled of spicy incense.

"Ah, yah niece. Yoo and Lieutenant Wallace are such good people. My husband, he is a good person, too. It takes a strong will ta adopt a child as ya own."

Tifa enjoyed Dinah's island accent. She enjoyed her company, in general, as he had an energy that matched Aerith's. Tifa could sense that Dinah was possibly a healer of sorts. She exuded life-energy, which was evident in the garden thriving around them.

"I'm glad you think so," Tifa smiled.

Dinah sat down with her now, tending to her own cup of tea. "Is dare a man in yuh life, Miss Lok-HarTT? I don't get da feeling dat yoo and Lieutenant Wallace are more dan friends, hn?"

Tifa fiddled with the handle of her teacup, "No. There's no man in my life. Not at the moment."

"Ah, well you have yuh pick of da men on dis island!" Dinah laughed. "Dey love to chase mainland beauties 'round here!"

"So I've seen," Tifa replied sheepishly, referring to the relentless ice cream man, and the handful of Mercenaries who gathered in the mornings to watch her training in the gym, and the cook who would always burn himself or drop pots and pans when she would come to retrieve Marlene from the kitchen, and the local bus driver, and the ten or so fisherman who whistled at her as she passed them on her afternoon jog, and so on and so forth…

"Dare's somebody for everybody, so dey say," Dinah smiled knowingly as she sipped her tea. "But it can be a chore when yoo have too many tuh choose from," Dinah laughed whole-heartedly. "Don't wait too long for love, doe. You don't want it to pass yuh by, dear," she winked. "When muh husband died, planet rest his soul, I gave muh love to Harrison. He a _gooood man. _He waited while I grieved muh husband, we bof did. They was comrades. But if we waited too long, we woulda nevar found happiness togetha."

Tifa took her words to heart.

Maybe it had already passed her by… love. Maybe she was just unlucky in love. She knew she could have pretty much ANY man. _'A terrible problem to have, indeed,' _Tifa chastised herself. But the one man she wanted all along never truly wanted her. And now the other man she wanted was a dirty rotten scoundrel that she had no business being with in the first place.

_'Well, that's not entirely fair, now is it? Reno has his good points...'_ She quickly pushed that thought from her mind, however. There was no use getting hung up on him again.

Maybe… maybe she would meet a nice guy and settle here. She didn't have to be head over heels in love. She just had to be… content.

That settled it: She would purge Reno from her thoughts, leave her old life behind and start fresh.

One more time.

This time, she'd get it right.

If "true love" had passed her by, well, she'd have to live without it then, now wouldn't she? She still had the love of her friends and family and that would have to do. That was enough for other people. It would have to be enough for her, too.

* * *

After spending the afternoon with Dinah in her garden, Tifa settled in for the evening, mentally preparing herself for her return to Edge. Cid would arrive in the morning with Yuffie and Denzel, ready to take her aboard and set a course to Kalm.

She went over the lease agreement for the old tavern on the Southwest side of town. Dinah gave her a lead on the vacant property, which hadn't been opened since Meteorfall. There were lots of renovations and upgrades to be done, but Tifa was confident that she could bring it back to its former glory -and then some. Getting back to work could give her a new direction and sense of purpose, and hopefully get her mind off of Reno. And Cloud. And her lonely heart.

Marlene had stealthily climbed into bed with her, snuggling up against her. "Please be careful in Edge," she said in a tiny voice.

Tifa kissed her head before turning off the light, "I will."

* * *

The following day brought a lot of hubbub and excitement back as Cid, Barret, Denzel and Yuffie greeted everyone underground.

Tifa found some relief in Barret's return, as well as the arrival of Denzel to keep Marlene occupied.

Cid didn't delay as he carted Tifa and Yuffie off in the grasslands near Kalm. They departed the ship in Barret's utility truck as Cid hollered after them that he'd be back for them the following day and to "be on time for fuck's sake!" because he didn't have the time to send a rescue team into Edge to fish their carcasses out if they got snared by an enemy. Or something to that effect.

"He's such a sweetheart, isn't he?" Yuffie snorted in disgust. She sat with her feet on the dashboard as she tossed around a fire materia.

"He cares. He just has a funny way of showing it," Tifa shifted the truck into low gear as they neared Kalm. "And would you quit tossing that around?! You're making me nervous!"

"Oh please. You'd think I never handled materia before—"

Without warning, the truck let out a rattling **BOOOOOM!**

The girls ejected themselves from the truck as the engine went up in flames. A black cloud of smoke billowed skyward as the flames intensified.

"DAMMIT YUFFIE!" Tifa hollered.

"I'm SORRY! Sheesh! That had to be some bad Materia!" she tried to reason.

Tifa composed herself while she extracted an Ice Materia, "There's no such thing as bad materia! Just bad materia wielders!" she hollered, casting a spell to contain the flames. Within seconds, the smoke crystallized, leaving only a charred pickup truck behind.

Tifa stood still, rubbing the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"Uh, we don't have to tell Barret about this right away, do we?" Yuffie squeaked.

The older girl huffed, straightened her posture, turned to Yuffie, and extended her hand. Yuffie sheepishly handed over the culprit Fire Materia.

With the strength and velocity of a major league baseball pitcher, Tifa tossed the offending orb as far into the distance as she possibly could.

"HEY!" Yuffie whined.

Tifa immediately shushed her with a wave of her finger. "Let's go," was all she said.

The ninja trailed behind her, pouting like a scolded child. Tifa failed to notice, however, when Yuffie extracted another materia from her own knapsack, and began fiddling with it as they made their way into town.

* * *

Yuffie waited in the doorway of the Inn as Tifa used their landline phone. Her PHS had unfortunately been in the Truck, and now, well, it had suffered the same awful fate as the truck.

She searched through the digital phone book that accompanied the public phone to find the first person she could think of who could assist them.

"Aha!" she smiled as she located the name she was looking for: **Von Stolz, Ludwig. **684 Peoria Way, Building 2, Unit 16, Edge City. Landline 889-884-xxxx (Insert credits to connect).

Tifa swiped her old phone card, prayed that there were sufficient credits, and breathed a sigh of relief when it began to ring.

She was greeted by a tiny voice on the other end, "H'lo?"

"Hi," she greeted back in a sing-song voice. "Can I speak to Mister Von Stolz please?"

"Who's calling?" the little voice returned.

"His bartender," Tifa smiled to herself.

"Oh, ok," Tifa heard a muffled noise before the voice on the other line yelled, "DAD-DY! YOUR BARTENDER IS ON THE PHONE!"

There was some more rustling before Tifa could make out, "My WHAT?!"

"Your bar-ten-der. She sounds really nice!"

More rustling before a man answered, "This is Von Stolz."

"Ludwig," Tifa smiled as the familiar gruff voice came over the receiver.

"Well howdaya like that?" he responded. "I was thinking I could use a drink all… month?" he laughed. "Where ya been, girl? Seventh Heaven is all locked up. I thought some cretins got to you."

Tifa laughed a little, "Well, some cretins DID get to me. But I'm back. And I need some help…"

"Whatever you need, sweets. Luddy's gotcha!"

* * *

Before too long Tifa and Yuffie sat side-by-side, right back in the fields outside of Kalm, waiting for Ludwig to come to their aid. Yuffie lay on her back, impatiently tossing a green materia orb above her head. Tifa caught it and placed it in her knapsack while shooting a warning glance at Yuffie. The playful ninja simply blew her bangs out of her face and sat up.

Both girls turned their heads in the direction of a very loud, very nondescript diesel truck that threw up dust and debris behind it as it sped across the plane.

"There's our ride," Tifa stood up and stretched. "Come on," she took Yuffie by the hand as they ran off toward the truck together.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Hi Again!**

**Oh, hell I couldn't stop writing since last night. There's something BIG coming, so I had to keep writing to get to it. I'm super excited about it! You should be too. Like, totally.**

**Thanks for coming along on this ride with me! I hope you're all still enjoying it =)**

**Lyrics from"Spotless Mind" by Jhene Aiko. GO listen to it. Such a good song. SO fitting.  
**

**FFVII doesn't belong to me! No money being made! You know the drill!**

* * *

Getting into 7th Heaven wasn't as tricky as they had anticipated. Tifa had to basically use her entire body weight to pull against the back alley entrance to get it to open. She only ever used this door to take out the trash and recycling every Sunday night; so needless to say, it was a bit rusty from lack of use. Other than that, their trip into town was pretty uneventful. They arrived at the bar a little after 11pm on Saturday night so street and foot traffic was a bit heavy downtown. This also served to cloak them as they went about their business in the darkness of the bar. Ludwig parked the truck on the adjacent block, waiting for Yuffie's signal to pull up to load the vehicle with whatever they saw fit to take back to Mideel with them.

"Ow!" Yuffie stifled a yelp as she tripped over something the very moment that she and Tifa entered the kitchen.

"I'm glad I brought such a stealthy ninja with me," Tifa deadpanned as she flicked on the fluorescent kitchen light.

"Oh shut UUUUP," Yuffie rubbed her shin in agony, "this stool shouldn't be in here in the first place!"

"Oh!" Tifa turned, her eyes sparkling in realization, "That's the new stool I ordered." She also took note of a new that table sat behind it, along with her new specials board leant up against the wall. "How did they get in here? No one was here to receive them…" she trailed off as she heard a distinct shuffling sound overhead. She and Yuffie shot alarmed looks at one another before switching into stealth mode. Yuffie quietly flicked off the light before both girls ventured side-by-side, out into the darkness of the bar. They tip-toed towards the stairs together, their eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light that filtered in from the street through frosted-glass windows. Yuffie grabbed Tifa by the shoulder to still her movements as she zeroed in on a shadowy figure moving near the stairs. On Tifa's cue, both girls readied themselves in their respective fighting stances.

"Relax. It's me," a low baritone voice came from the bottom step. The light flicked on to reveal a sleepy-looking Cloud with an amused look on his face. Tifa exhaled deeply, looking up at the ceiling in relief. Yuffie laughed out loud before both girls noticed the state of the bar around them:

The entire place had been shot to hell, but it looked as though someone had cleaned it up (somewhat). The walls were riddled with bullet holes and all of the photos had been removed. All of the tables, chairs, and stools were pushed up against the wall. The bar was empty; no bottles, no glasses, no register, no mirror on the wall …nothing.

"What happened?" Tifa said in a small voice.

Cloud uncrossed his arms, making his way over to them. "Shinra happened," he stated simply.

"They probably came here after you and Barret left town," Yuffie figured.

"I expected this. But still… it sucks to see it in person," Tifa looked disheartened as she took in her surroundings. She looked to Cloud, "And you cleaned it all up?"

He nodded with an uncharacteristic look of sympathy on his face, "I couldn't leave it in shambles."

Tifa smiled softly in return.

* * *

_A few hours later…_

"How about this box of old taps? Take it or leave it?" Ludwig had come into the bar upon request to do some heavy lifting. He pulled the truck into the alleyway so they could begin loading everything up. They had been lifting, hauling, organizing, packing, and throwing out whatever wasn't salvageable for half the night

"Take it," Tifa said over her shoulder from her current seat at her new table. She sat with a glass of water in her hand, resting her feet on the table as she sat across from Cloud, who was hunched over his own glass in contemplation. Cloud had divulged that after the incident at Junon and their less-than-amicable parting at Rocket Town, he returned to 7th Heaven to gather his thoughts. What he found, however, was a bar in ruin.

"They intentionally left the windows in-tact to keep from any further suspicion arising. They wanted to send a message to you," Cloud said before knocking back the rest of his water.

"Well," Tifa sighed, "I got it. Loud and clear. Shinra is alive and well and they hate us like always. Nothing new."

Cloud nodded in agreement.

"I'd better get started upstairs," she sighed again.

Cloud stood up with her, accompanying her as she trudged heavily up the stairs and into the home that they once shared. All-in-all, the apartment had remained in-tact. There wasn't anything visibly out-of-order. Then again, Cloud may have cleaned that up, too, to keep her from getting too upset. She had been purposely avoiding going up their all night to keep from breaking down emotionally, but fortunately the home she cherished hadn't been destroyed (unlike the bar below them).

"Did anything go on up here?" she asked.

"Nothing I could tell," he answered honestly. "There were a few papers out of order and the desk appeared to be rummaged through. The computer's gone, too. Other than that they left everything else alone."

"That's a relief," Tifa rounded the corner to enter her bedroom. Cloud left her to be by herself then.

She scanned the room: Everything looked the same as the day she, Barret, and the kids hauled ass out of town. Her towel was still on the floor, her wardrobe door still open, her bed un-made. Time stood still. She knelt down next to the bed to extract the item she came for. Only… that particular item was missing.

Her eyes widened in concern before she sat up and yelled, "CLOUD?"

Cloud's heavy footsteps made their way to her door, "Yeah?"

She sat back on her heels with a look of confusion on her face before asking, "Did you take my strongbox… the carry-safe that was under my bed?"

He shook his head, "No. What was in it? Anything Shinra would have wanted?"

She shook her head quickly, "Nothing I can think of. Just keepsakes, really. My mom's sheet music, a few trinkets, some of Jesse and Aerith… some of their stuff…" she trailed off. "Nothing important… not to Shinra, anyway."

Cloud shrugged in response, "Maybe they thought it was important. They took the cash box and the materia safe. And the old computer. They probably swept the place for anything else they could use."

"Maybe," Tifa was saddened by her loss. Sure, the stuff was probably garbage to Shinra, destroyed in their incinerators, long-gone by now. But to Tifa, those items were irreplaceable. Priceless.

She quickly realized that she had to do a lot of letting-go recently.

_"Letting go is the way to grow."_ \- That was one of Master Zangan's favorite sayings whenever Tifa had a particularly hard time executing a move.

_Change is inevitable  
Why hold on to what you have to let go of?  
Like, did I really break your heart?  
Was it all my fault?  
If you don't knock it off  
You know like I know where this was headed_

_I'm a wanderer_  
_I'm a wanderer, baby_  
_I'm a wanderer_  
_I'm a wanderer_

She straightened up to sit on her bed. She motioned for Cloud to sit next to her, to which he complied. She laid her head against his shoulder before she noticed tears streaming down her face.

"I don't know why I'm crying. It was just a silly box of memories," she sniffed.

Cloud placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. They sat like that for a few minutes before she got a handle on her tears. She pulled away to look at Cloud, who was deep in thought.

"Can we be okay?" she asked timidly.

"We're gonna have to be," he rubbed her back in a comforting motion.

"Do you hate me for what I did?" she looked at her hands in her lap.

_Costa Del Sol was nice  
Turquoise seas and ocean breezes  
Loving you was nice  
But it's a new day, a new season  
I've been sad inside  
And he could see it, picked up your pieces  
We are just alive  
And alright, alright, alright_

_He's a wanderer_  
_He's a wanderer, baby_  
_He's a wanderer_  
_He's a wanderer_

He was quiet for a moment before answering, "No. I was upset, but it's not my place to judge you or be angry with you. We already talked about it. I can't give you what you need. And you deserve to be happy. You've been way too good to me, way better than I deserve…"

"No," she looked at him now. "Don't start that. Don't start beating yourself up. I loved you because I wanted to love you. I still love you… just, it's different now. I know what _kind_ of love it is. And you do, too."

Cloud nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah. I think I do."

They smiled before sharing a warm embrace.

He rubbed his forehead in agitiation, however, before revisiting the issue, "But _come on_, Tifa. _RENO?_?"

She huffed in response, "I know. _I KNOW_. Lapse in judgement. I'm going to be _much more_ discerning from now on."

_I started as a love song  
26 years in the making  
Moving from place to place  
And I never really settled down  
Without a place to call home  
I got so used to the changes  
Moving from stranger to strangest  
You should face it  
I am crazy_

_I'm a wanderer_  
_I'm a wanderer, baby_  
_I'm a wanderer_  
_I'm a wanderer_

"Listen," he pulled back, "You need to be with someone who can keep up with you. And someone who appreciates everything you do. Someone who respects you. And your relationship with Marlene. If you settle for anything less, then…. _Then_ I'll be angry. You have to be smart about who you give your love to, Tifa, okay? No more running around with people who don't have your best interest at heart."

She smiled wide before pointing a finger directly at his chest, "Same goes to you, buddy! I won't have you running around with some idiot, either. Comprende?"

"Shake on it?" he extended his hand.

"How about a pinky promise?" she winked, referring to their childhood pact, extending her pinky finger instead.

"Well you _have _to keep those, so…" he smiled as they extended and locked fingers.

"Ohhhhh BAAARF!"

Their heads shot up as they both looked to Yuffie standing in the doorway with a hand on her hip and a finger pointed to her mouth in a gagging motion. She then quickly dodged a pillow that was chucked at her.

"You two are the WORST!" she hollered from the hallway.

* * *

After a final sweep of the place, they loaded up the truck with the last of the supplies. Tifa surveyed the building's exterior one last time, standing side-by-side with Cloud in a silent goodbye. Yuffie sat in the truck, chatting with Ludwig, holding Marlene's stuffed Mog toy close to her chest in a snuggly fashion.

"We had a nice life here while it lasted," Tifa said-off-handedly, motioning to the metal "7th Heaven" sign that Cloud designed for them.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I'm gonna stick around here a little bit longer. There's some work up north for me, but not till the end of the month."

"Will you come to visit?"

"Maybe," he shuddered. "Its just… Mideel."

That's all he needed to say on the matter. Tifa knew his aversion to the area from his difficult experience with the Lifestream.

"It's okay. I get it. I was a little worried that I would hate it, too. But it's growing on me," she took his hand in her own as they walked back to the truck. "I never thought I'd end up there, but I've learned to let go and let the wind carry me wherever it is I'm supposed to be. My life is wacky, but I don't think I'd trade it," she laughed.

Cloud helped lift Tifa into the truck before shutting the door securely behind her.

Yuffie leaned over to the window, "What are you gonna do now, Cloud?"

"I'm gonna go back to bed. Two noisy intruders interrupted my much-needed sleep," he joked in the same old dry-fashion that they were all used to. "Ludwig!" he motioned to get the driver's attention.

"Oy!" Ludwig yelled back in acknowledgement.

"After you drop these girls off, get home safe, okay? Shinra could be watching us right now. Come by tomorrow if you're free. I have a stash of Corel wine in the garage. Consider it payment for your help," he smiled at the older man.

Ludwig gave him a thumbs-up before clutching-in and shifting gears on the truck, "You got it, pal! That's a good man, right there," he said to Yuffie.

Tifa leaned out the window to ask one more nagging question, "Cloud," she spoke lowly, "you didn't hurt Reno too badly, did you? Like, you left him half-alive at least?"

Cloud gave her a smug look, "I _could have _sliced him in two, but I didn't. Truth be told I don't _completely_ hate him. He's a loveable idiot. I really can't blame him. If I were him I would have chased you, too."

Tifa was shocked at this admission.

Maybe Cloud was growing up, too?

One could only hope.

_Shame on me for changing  
No, No, No,  
Shame on you for staying the same_

_Shame on me for changing_  
_Shame on you for staying the same_

_I'm a wanderer_  
_I'm a wanderer, baby_  
_I'm a wanderer_  
_I'm a wanderer_

"BYYYYEE CLOUD!" Yuffie yelled over the loud engine as the truck rolled into drive.

Tifa realized that she and Cloud were holding hands before unclasping from the motion of the truck.

The pair watched each other until Ludwig rounded the corner. Tifa adjusted herself in her seat, taking note that Yuffie was watching her.

"Everything good?" Yuffie smiled at her friend.

"I think so," Tifa also realized she was able to breathe easy for the first time in weeks. It was as though a great weight had lifted from her body. Slowly, the morning light began to creep across town.

It was time to move on.

_Maybe I'm just a wanderer  
Maybe I'm just a wanderer _

* * *

**To be continued…**


	21. Chapter 21

**Guys... GUYS.**

**I'm back. **

**Again.**

**How are we all holding up? Everybody good? ****Guess what. Here's another chapter. Because I love you dearly.**

**FFVII belongs to Square Enix. Not me. No money is being made from this work of fiction.**

**As always, ****Enjoy!**

**~V**

* * *

She sighed into his mouth as he hovered above her, engulfing her with his whole being. She felt so safe and warm in his arms. Everything fit together perfectly.

"How come it's always gotta be a fight, yo? Can't we just stay like this?" His nose tickled her neck as she batted him away, "You smell really good…"

"I'm a fighter not a lover. Not anymore," she teased.

"I beg to differ," he nuzzled her a bit more roughly, holding her firm against him. "You're both."

She deliberated before speaking, "…Maybe."

They lay together a bit longer before Tifa felt the inevitable pull: A dreadful pain behind her eyes that signaled something undesirable -something that she didn't have the energy to face -something that would tear them apart again. (Not that she should be sneaking around with him like this anyhow…)

"You're not really fighting _me_, Teef, yanno? You're fighting _you._"

* * *

"Bongo!"

A particularly pesky, rainbow-colored Macaw greeted Tifa from her open-air window as she recovered from another fleeting dream of Reno. Dreaming of him had become a habit of hers as of late. He was a bad habit that she couldn't quite shake. It seemed that the harder she tried to push Reno from her waking-mind, the more he graced her subconscious.

She stretched from head to toe in the comfort of her fluffy new bed before greeting her visitor: "Morning Bongo," she sucked in a breath before letting out a big yawn.

'Bongo' was a very large, very colorful, very _intrusive _parrot who putzed around the building that she and Marlene now inhabited: "Good Morning Bongo!" he squawked in return.

"Yes," she agreed. "It is."

The sun shone brightly above azure skies, fluffy ocean clouds, and palm trees. Now that Tifa was back above ground, she felt blessed to be living in what so many others had dubbed 'Paradise'. Mideel was a pristine island covered in tropical vegetation, hot springs, and waterfalls - as well as offering some of the most gorgeous beaches in the world.

Upon returning from Edge, the girls relocated to the southwest side of Mideel. Tifa, Barret, and a handful of helpers from the underground militia, as well as some helpful townsfolk, had assisted in renovations of this particular building, which had been a small tavern before the Lifestream disaster and Meteorfall. Harrison had provided them with the necessary startup capital, as well as all of the hardware she required to upgrade the dilapidated bar and dining area. Everything had been covered in moss, and island animals like Bongo, some feral cats, and a handful of pesky monkeys had taken up residence in the abandoned building. Tifa felt bad chasing them out of the joint but this was her home now. They'd just have to go back to the jungle where they belonged. All except for Bongo, of course. He simply refused to vacate the premises, so Tifa eventually gave in and let him stick around. Marlene and Janice liked to play with him and teach him new phrases, so he quickly became their new pet, in a sense.

The kitchen was still in working condition, thankfully, and all of the supplies that Tifa repossessed from Seventh Heaven definitely saved her time and money. The bar's "soft opening" would take place in less than two weeks, so she had to hustle to get everything ready in time.

"Tifa!" Marlene's voice rang from outside her bedroom door, "Captain and Misses Harrison are here! They brought Janice, too. Can we play outside?"

Tifa rubbed the rest of the sleep from her eyes before she shot up in bed. _'Shit!' _-She forgot that the captain and his wife were coming over for morning tea – and to go over some more start-up plans for the new business. She quickly hobbled out of bed, breezing past the talking bird that was skipping about on her floor to grab a t-shirt and jeans from her bamboo dresser.

"Please tell them I'll be right down!" she hollered to Marlene as she struggled to get into her jeans.

"Okay! But what about Janice?" Marlene hollered back.

"Sure," she said as she slipped the shirt over her head. "Just don't go too far. And be back in time for lunch, okay?"

"Yep yep!"

Tifa pulled a brush through her hair as she heard Marlene's footsteps retreating down the hallway.

"Bongo!"

Tifa whirled to glimpse the bird perched on her bamboo bed frame now, staring at her intently before cocking his head to the side, blinking a few times in the process. Tifa concluded that she definitely liked Chocobos better than Parrots. Chocobos didn't try to reel you into one-sided conversations…

"I'll be back later, Bongo. How about you go outside and play with the girls?" she tried.

"The girls, the girls!" he mimicked, followed by a whistle.

"Okay," she didn't really care if he stayed or went or even understood what she said as she checked her image in the mirror. "Good enough," she concluded before quickly slipping on flip-flops and exiting the room.

"Ah Miss LockhaRTT, so good to see you!" Dinah quickly gracefully rose from her seat and strode over to Tifa as she entered the unfinished dining area. The older woman pulled Tifa into a warm embrace, pecking her on the cheek in an island greeting. Dinah was an affectionate woman who practically oozed with caring and compassion. Tifa blushed from the attention as she was fairly unaccustomed to it. She wondered, too, where Janice got her brash attitude from. She was nothing like Dinah. _'Probably her biological father…'_ Tifa thought to herself. That, and being raised inside a military organization probably rubbed off on her a bit.

"Good morning," Tifa smiled. "Sorry I kept you waiting. We were finishing the floors last night, so I got to bed a bit later than anticipated."

"No worries, ma dear," Dinah assured her. "We are just happy ya still in working order. Tis lots of labor opening a business like diss -and in such a short amount ah time."

They turned toward Harrison now while he stood next to the table, waiting to greet her. "Good morning, Miss Lockhart, you're looking well." He extended his hand in a formal greeting, to which Tifa responded as he gave her a firm handshake. Tifa noted that tea had been served as Harrison pushed in her chair as she sat down, before tending to his wife and sitting down himself. He was quite the gentleman.

"Your little Marlene is quite the hostess," Harrison mentioned as he lifted his tea in an informal toast before taking a sip.

Marlene. Of course! She made the tea while Tifa snoozed (dreaming of a Turk, no less).

"She really is," Tifa smiled in agreement as Dinah poured her a cup of the Nibel Breakfast Blend that she kept stashed in the kitchen. She maintained a thoughtful look as her mind wandered to Marlene: That little girl kept her sane, kept her in check, kept her from making a fool of herself in front of important guests. She made a mental note to take Marlene into town for the new bicycle she wanted as a reward for all of her help. Not just for this, but for _everything_. The girl had been through so much. She deserved something special for putting up with Tifa and their 'wacky life' together.

The trio chit-chatted about the weather, Tifa's hometown and her life in Midgar and Edge, the new business that they all had a stake in, their children, the global state of affairs…

In the two months after the incident at Junon and her trip to Edge, it seemed that Shinra had come into the media again as a harbinger of catastrophes around the globe. The president's cancelled speech sparked rumors of his possible motives, another wave of geostigma due to the increasing oil spills, and the future of his proposed underwater oil pipeline.

After finishing his tea, Harrison leaned forward to lead the conversation into a more 'intimate' discussion.

"We are very pleased that you are helping to revive Mideel's economy, further-more reviving its place in the world by investing in its future. Relocating your business here, even if it wasn't what you had in mind, is a joy to all of Mideel's citizens, Miss Lockhart." He looked at her in deep gratitude, "You and your comrades have done so much for the planet, for the common people. We all owe you a great debt."

Tifa smiled, "Thank you, Captain. But please, you can call me Tifa. You and your wife have been more than kind to Marlene and myself. You've done so much for us. We're happy to be here," she smiled at Dinah before taking another sip of tea.

"Of course," he sat back, lighting up a cigarette before continuing. "We should put formalities aside. Please call me Harrison. Barret does. My first name is Ronan, but all of my friends call me Harrison," he took his wife by the hand, holding it tight while smoking with the other.

"Certainly," Tifa smiled, fidgeting a little. She knew something else was coming, something more to be said, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I've come to speak to you about a project we have been working on, and we'd like for your business to be an integral part of it," he continued, snuffing out his cigarette before folding his hands on the table in front of him.

There it was.

Dinah sat up straight, unmoving, appraising Tifa with her onyx eyes.

Tifa said nothing, which signaled for Harrison to continue with his request.

"We've had some reports of suspicious activity near our main tunnel entrance, which was the entrance you utilized when you first arrived here. We are in the process of barricading that tunnel – The South Tunnel, and looking to open up an alternate route."

Tifa understood what he was getting at right away. "So you would like the new tunnel to come out here," she said matter-of-factly,

Harrison smiled wide, "Precisely."

Tifa sat back in contemplation. If the tunnel entrance happened to be underneath her bar, that may put she and Marlene at a greater risk for danger.

"How do I know this won't bring unwanted "suspicious activity" to my place of work? To my business? To my home …and Marlene?" she challenged. She didn't want to come across as ungrateful. Harrison had done so much for her by giving her asylum and a chance to start over, but at what price? She wanted to live in peace, but being the host of an entrance to an underground tunnel system for a covert Militia Organization didn't exactly put her at ease.

Harrison sighed, "Unfortunately there is no guarantee of complete safety, but we will do everything in our power to keep you and your girl out of harm's way, should any _situations_ arise."

Tifa rubbed the bridge of her nose. She didn't like this at all. "And if I refuse? …This request?"

Harrison visibly tensed at this, while Dinah's eyes widened. Harrison stood up, followed by his wife, "Refusal is not an option. This is not a request. The tunnel is already underway."

Tifa stood up now too, pretty much shooting up from her seat, "What?"

Well, this pleasant conversation had certainly taken an unpleasant turn.

"I'm sorry that this may not be something that you agree with, but like said, the plans are underway. The main tunnel will begin here."

"You'd been planning this all along and I didn't even have a say? Does Barret know about this?" she fired back.

Harrison was on his way out the door, followed close behind by Dinah, before turning back to answer, "He was the one who suggested it."

Tifa was floored.

"We will speak again soon, Tifa," he softened a little before exiting. Dinah offered her a soft smile before walking out the rickety front door.

"Janice!" she heard Dinah call to her daughter. "Gitcha muddy feet over here right quick! We going back now, my love."

Tifa was fuming. Barret was due back that night, and boy, was he going to get a piece of her mind.

* * *

"Listen! I didn't think it would be such a big 'ol stink!" Barret tried reasoning with a still-fuming Tifa. She was currently pacing back and forth in front of him as he sat awkwardly in a kitchen chair -which was entirely too small for his hulking form.

She stopped in her tracks to look at him, "OH? Is that **ALL** it IS? A '_big old stink'_?!"

"Teef," he warned defensively.

"No! ...No. You're not gonna downplay this, Barret! This is a BIG deal. Harrison thinks he can just own us because he was so generous? That's low," she crossed her arms.

"Teef", he tried again, "Harrison don't think he owns us. I offered. It's my fault. I wan't thinkin', I s'pose. Listen, I'm tryin' my best here!" he pleaded. "I guess I was jus' nostalgic fuh da old days. Back with Biggs, an Wedge, an Jessie. Guess I thought'd be excitin' to have a 'secret underground' again…" he rubbed the back of his neck.

Tifa softened a little, letting out a small sigh before sitting down at the table with him. "B," she began, "this isn't something I signed up for."

"Yeah I know," he huffed. "But I'm a part a dis now." He looked up at her, "I wish you'd reconsider joinin'. We really need a pair-a-fists like you."

Tifa hung her head in defeat. The tunnel was happening. Barret was committed to the cause. She'd just have to deal with it as best as she could. She should have figured she couldn't avoid having some role in his new job. Not if she planned on keeping Barret and Marlene together.

Speaking of which:

"Daddy!" Marlene giggled as she ran in from the doorway, dropping her knapsack as she leaped toward him.

"Ayyyy Babygirl!" Barret scooped her up into his arms, hugging her tight.

"Guess what!" she giggled.

"Whassat?" he pulled back to look at her.

"Janice and I taught Bongo how to sing the flower petal song!"

"I'll be damned! How'sat one go?" he was intrigued by everything his little girl had to say, hanging on her every word. Tifa watched as they joked and giggled and hugged. Barret really did love his daughter. Tifa knew that. And if sucking it up and going along with Harrison's plan kept them together, then she'd do it. Still, she wondered what other demands he might make at the expense of her business and well-being. She was too tired to start over again somewhere else.

Mideel was her home now. Her bar would be open soon and she'd have to take everything else one day at a time.

_'I can do it,'_ she resolved. _'I'll make it happen.'_

* * *

"I apologize fuh any harsh feelings we may have caused," Dinah said as she walked alongside Tifa through her Orchid garden. She invited Tifa for lunch in a peace-offering shortly after her meeting with Harrison. "My husband can be very _set_ in his ways. Once his mind made up, it's made up."

Tifa nodded her head, "I understand. I was just upset that I wasn't informed sooner. And that I don't have any say in the matter."

"Ah," Dinah sympathized, "Even if yah did, Ronan would do wut he wanted ta do anyhow. He runs dis island now, so he gonna do what he sees fit."

Tifa made no comment.

"So," Dinah continued, doing her best to fill the silence, "Yoo excited fuh ya opening?"

Tifa tried her best to look enthusiastic, "Yes, it will be a nice change of pace to get back to work."

Truth be told, she was extremely nervous. There was still so much left do; all little things like checking the wiring and light bulbs, making sure the new floorboards had settled, hanging pictures, oh and not to mention that there was a secret underground tunnel being blasted and dug out underneath her building, and an iron door was being delivered and installed by fifteen of Harrison's workers at the end of the week.

You know -_little_ things like that.

Tifa couldn't help but be annoyed that she had to adjust the pictures on her bedroom wall every twenty minutes or so. The underground blasts had been getting more intense that night as she was frittering around hanging curtains in the bedrooms, folding laundry, and going through supply order forms.

"Bongo!"

Since Barret had taken Marlene underground with him until the next day, her companion for the evening was a large Macaw who preferred to only say one word. Repeatedly. Even giving him biscuits and crackers didn't seem to appease him.

"Well, Bongo, I seem to have a dilemma," she divulged. She was speaking to a bird. She knew what she was doing. She didn't really care anymore. "I need a name for my new bar. Any thoughts?"

The bird blinked before speaking, "Bongo!"

"I love it!" she smiled. "But I need something with a bit more …flair. How about 'Final Heaven'?"

"Final Heaven," Bongo repeated, followed by a whistle.

"I knew you'd agree," Tifa smirked.

* * *

_The following night…_

"_Final _Heaven?" Marlene read aloud as she looked at a piece of paper with funny drawing of a Parrot holding a Margarita on it.

"What do you think?" Tifa looked hopefully at the younger girl.

Marlene wrinkled her nose, "Why not _Seventh_ Heaven?"

Tifa's heart sank a little before explaining, "Well, sweetie, I wanted to try something new. Kind of like, this is the final place that we'll end up. Hopefully we won't have to move again after this. _Finally_, you know? And we can even have Bongo be our mascot, see?" she pointed to the parrot logo she drew up the night before. Marlene turned back to the paper in front of her, studying it a bit further. They both giggled at the funny parrot picture before being interrupted by a loud knock at the apartment door. Tifa glanced at the clock: 10:04pm.

"Who could it be at this hour?" she wondered aloud before walking over to put her hand on the latch. "Who is it?" she said loudly.

"Captain Harrison. May I come in?"

Tifa's eyes widened as she ran a hand through her hair before unlatching the door, opening it to reveal Harrison in civilian clothes on the other side.

"Harrison," she forced a smile. "What a surprise! Please… come in," she extended a hand, motioning towards the living area.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour," he looked sheepish and out-of place.

"It's alright. Oh!" She noticed that Marlene popped her head out of the kitchen.

"Hi Captain Harrison!" Marlene smiled from the Kitchen doorway.

"Hello Marlene," he smiled down at her.

"Please have a seat," Tifa led him to a small sofa in the living area. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you," he waved his hand dismissively before sitting down.

"Captain, Tifa's been working on a new name for the bar. What do you think?" Before Tifa could stop her, Marlene handed the piece of paper to the older gentleman.

"Ah," he took the paper, studying it, "I was wondering when the name would be revealed! _'Final Heaven_?" he read aloud. "I like it," he nodded in approval before handing the paper back to Marlene. "I see you've met the resident parrot who likes to roam around this place, then, hn?" he smiled, referring to the parrot drawing with a twinkle in his eye.

"We certainly have," Tifa rolled her eyes. "He's our unofficial mascot."

Harrison let out a chuckle at this, "You know Bongo has been around a long time. I first came here over ten years ago and he was around even back then! Parrots like him live for a very long time, you know. I've been told that some can even live to be a hundred! Much longer than Chocobos, even," he laughed.

"I never knew that," Tifa said with all honesty. Bongo was the first parrot she ever got up-close-and-personal with, and he was pretty chill as far as parrots go. He liked to walk around and survey everything. He could serve to be a low-cost alarm system, too. This also meant that Bongo could potentially outlive them, so Tifa figure she'd have to learn to enjoy her nonsensical nightly conversations with him. He was going to be around for a _long_ time, it seemed.

"Tifa," he segued into a more serious tone, "I came to let you know about the progress we've made so far with the new entrance. The door will be put into place tonight, within the hour. How are you ladies holding up? I can imagine that all of the blasting must have been a nuisance to you. I just want you to know how much that I and the rest of the MMC appreciate your cooperation in the matter."

Tifa refrained from rolling her eyes, _'Not like we had a choice in __the matter__.' _

Instead, she smiled and said, "We've managed. I've had to wait to hang pictures on the walls downstairs, but other than that, it hasn't been too bad."

"Ah, good," he smiled back.

Tifa figured that Harrison was here running damage control at the request of his wife. She'd play nice for now, but if anything happened to compromise her business or the well-being of her family, Harrison would have hell to pay at the mercy of her fists. She had been training hard each morning at dawn to redirect her frustrations, _and_ to keep from turning soft. She didn't want to have any repeats of her failure at Junon, in case things went awry with their relationship with Harrison and the MMC, or _heaven forbid_ if Shinra came to town.

"That's one of my favorite restaurants," Harrison said out of the blue.

"Hm?" Tifa looked at him in complete confusion.

"Port Junon Trading Company. Your shirt," he explained.

Tifa forgot that she was wearing Reno's shirt again. _Dang._

"They have the best crab cakes! And a damn fine bar if I say so myself. I hope the bar you'll be opening here will rival that place, Tifa," he smiled. "I'm looking forward to my first drink from you. What's your specialty?"

Tifa reflected upon Priscilla's words. She said that the only other person she ever saw with tattoos like Reno's was a _'Scary-Looking Mercenery from Mideel'._ It had to be Harrison, so Tifa filed that away in her brain before returning her attention to him. "My specialty? Hm… Marlene? What's my specialty?" she turned to the little girl seated beside her now.

"Vanilla cola!" Marlene bounced in her seat.

Tifa turned back to Harrison, "There you have it: Vanilla Cola."

Harrison let out a laugh, "That sounds delicious. I can't wait to try your spin on it."

With tensions eased ever so slightly, Tifa and Harrison chatted a bit longer before she hinted that it was well past Marlene's bedtime. Harrison bid them both a warm goodbye, returning to the basement level of the establishment to oversee the last stage of the tunnel excavation and door placement.

After Marlene was sound-asleep, Tifa turned her lights down to sit in her wicker chair with her feet up on her window frame. She sipped on a glass of chilled blush wine as she watched the stars twinkling above. Everything was so clear here: The air, the ocean, her frame of mind.

Tifa felt clarity for the first time in ages.

And it felt nice.

* * *

"That is some damn good whiskey!" Cid whistled as he looked at his glass. "_Damn_ good."

"I'm glad you like it," Tifa said as she shook up a drink in a tumbler before pouring it into a Martini glass for another patron. "It's from a cask I picked up in Icicle last year. The barrel is made from a dark wood, so it richens the flavor."

The soft opening of the bar gathered a fair amount of patrons, as well as a few of of Tifa's close friends who had come to visit. Cid and Shera came for the weekend with Denzel, whose presence put Marlene over-the-moon with joy. Yuffie was currently helping Tifa behind the bar, while Barret unofficially ran crowd control. Harrison, Dinah, and a handful of other people from the Militia graced them with their presence early in the evening, but left before midnight.

Word-of-mouth had brought people from all over the island to see what this new place was all about, and Tifa didn't disappoint. She hired a local musical troupe to play bongos, steel pan drums, and wooden flutes, as well as fire spinners and fire eaters performing out front to draw attention to the new establishment. The night went on with lots of singing and general merriment, and the last customer didn't leave until nearly dawn.

Tifa slept the entire next day. Her apartment was full of people, too, as Cid, Shera, Denzel, Yuffie, and Barret all stayed with her and Marlene for the weekend. Her friends had departed on Sunday after a fun-filled weekend exploring the 'New Mideel'. Poor Denzel had to go back to Rocket Town with sunburn because Janice kept him on the beach until he was nice and crispy. The young girl effectively sent him back with a soothing oil concoction that Dinah had made from the plants in her garden to help speed up the healing process.

Tifa didn't open again until the following Tuesday, which was a much more manageable night.

In the meantime, Harrison had visited her again to go over the intake process if people came directly into the bar looking for access to the tunnel. Essentially, if anyone came or went, it was though an entrance in the back of the building. That way her business wouldn't be disrupted by anyone raising suspicion by coming into a bar, not ordering anything, and then disappearing, basically. However if someone came to her seeking access there was a special set of phrases, questions, and answers that needed to be said correctly to gain access. Code speak, basically. This would only happen in the event of new recruits, diplomats, or spies seeking to gain access, so she had to be very careful in how she handled said people looking for access.

There was to be a guard placed at the entrance at all times, so if they got past Tifa and had ill-intent, they still had another round of code speak and testing before they could access the tunnel.

* * *

Thursday night was quiet. Which was fine. Tifa didn't mind a breather after a busy Wednesday night. Marlene spent the afternoon and evening underground with Janice, so she figured she would close up early and pay everyone a visit while retrieving her little lady. After she wiped the bar down, swept the floors, and locked up, Tifa made her way around the back of the building to knock on the underground entrance. She was greeted by a no-nonsense woman in military fatigues. "Miss Lockart," she acknowledged Tifa and stepped aside.

"Good evening," Tifa said as she entered the basement area. The guard typed in a passcode on the new door, which caused it to decompress and open slightly. The guard hoisted the large metal door back to grant Tifa entrance.

This tunnel was much shorter than the old tunnel, which was situated on the opposite side of town in a more run-down area. She figured Harrison's schematics planted the main bunker not far from her building, so he was probably ecstatic when he learned he could connect a much closer, more secure, more convenient tunnel via the sub-level of her building.

'_Go me,'_ she rolled her eyes.

As she ventured underground, however, she heard a bit of a commotion further down the tunnel. Alarmed, she began to run toward the opening. As she reached the entrance to the bunker she heard a man's voice yell, "Down on the ground!" followed by boots scuffling in the gravel and more voices yelling in confusion.

About ten guards were gathered around something or someone who she couldn't quite see, and Harrison stood at the opposite end of the open gathering area of the bunker. Tifa spied Marlene in the distance with Janice, who were intently watching the scene together behind a railing just a few meters back .

Marlene caught Tifa's eye as she tried to mouth something that Tifa couldn't quite understand.

"I never thought I'd see _this_ sorry face again," Harrison said with an air of contempt. He was speaking to or about the person that was being pinned to the ground by two guards.

Tifa stealthily rounded the perimeter of the commotion to get to Marlene.

"So **_you're the one_** who's been sneaking around my tunnels. Fancy that!" Harrison laughed. "And what is it you expected to achieve in coming back here, hm? Who sent you? Was it the maniac who turned you against me? Did he send you to kill me? And even then, could you honestly do it?"

Tifa got close to Marlene and grabbed her by the hand, "We have to go now."

"But Tifa-!" she looked up at her caretaker.

"Now Marlene," she warned, not preferring to get mixed up in Harrison's affairs.

"Tifa it's-!" Marlene tried.

"Pick his sorry ass up," Harrison boomed, prompting the two guards to hoist the perpetrator off the ground, holding him up roughly with his arms still pinned behind his back.

At that moment, a number of things happened: Tifa read somewhere once that a 'Quantum Moment' is a life-altering moment when time stands still -and even has the power to rearrange itself. Quantum moments are the most important moments of our lives. They redefine our future from a single pinpoint in time.

**_This_** was one of those moments.

Tifa glanced briefly to catch sight of the person who Harrison was about to unleash hell upon.

There was no denying it. No denying who she saw with her own eyes.

Tifa's heart stopped.

"Reno," she formed his name on her lips, but no sound came out. Her entire body went into a state of momentary shock.

He noticed her too, not long after he lifted his head up. He had the most incredulous look on his face as he stared at her from a distance, his brow cocked and mouth slightly agape. That didn't last long, however, as Harrison's hand slapped him straight across the face. In typical Reno fashion, he bounced back with a shit-eating grin meant just for Harrison.

"I missed you, too, pal," Reno challenged.

Harrison scoffed at his defiance. "Let him go," he ordered the guards. They released Reno and stepped back.

Reno rubbed his wrists and arms as he looked at Harrison, "Sheesh what a welcome home."

"This is **not** your home," Harrison warned. "You made your choice a long time ago."

Tifa stood dumbfounded, unable to peel her eyes from Reno. He looked thin, gaunt; Much thinner from when she saw him last. Gone was the typical Turk tailored-suit. Now he wore black cargo pants covered in dust, muddy black combat boots, and a gray t-shirt riddled with holes. He had deep welts on his arms and neck. He looked like he'd been through hell.

"I'm here seeking asylum. From Shinra," he said reluctantly.

Harrison walked right up to him, staring him down, to which Reno didn't flinch, "And how do I know that you're not just here gathering intel for _The_ _Illustrious_ Rufus Shinra?"

Reno narrowed his eyes, speaking lowly, "Because I'm now listed as AWOL, and if I go back to Shinra, Rufus will have me shitcanned. Permanently."

"Not convinced," Harrison stated simply.

Reno swallowed his pride, which was something Reno _never_ did, before looking at the Captain with pleading eyes, "Harrison," he lowered his voice, Tifa noticed it cracking slightly, "I have nowhere else to go."

Harrison hovered over him, stuck in a bind. He obviously had a prior relationship with Reno. What kind of relationship? Tifa had yet to find out.

Harrison made up his mind, and with extreme displeasure in his tone, as if he felt he was making a huge mistake, replied, "You will have a trial probationary period. If you misstep in **_any_** way, you will be terminated. Report to my ready room at oh nine hundred hours to go over your daily itinerary. You'll sleep here in the holding area tonight. We will have a more permanent room ready for you tomorrow."

Reno looked up in shock and gratitude. He looked to Tifa who had the same look of shock upon her face.

"Everyone else is dismissed. Hendricks, see to it that our new recruit has a mat to sleep on tonight," Harrison ordered.

"Sir," the guard complied.

The rest of the guards scattered, leaving Tifa, Marlene, and Janice in the background.

In a split-second decision Tifa grabbed Marlene by the wrist, darting out of the place as quickly as possible, not bothering to look back. They raced through the tunnel, Marlene's feeble protests barely registering as they made their way above ground again. They exited the tunnel, barreling past the guard, racing out into the night, then running up the stairwell on the exterior of the building to reach their cozy apartment above the bar.

Tifa collapsed in a heap on the kitchen floor, breathing near the point of hyperventilation, fighting back tears while Marlene got her a glass of water from the kitchen tap.

"It's okay, it's okay," Marlene repeated as she handed the glass to Tifa, encouraging her to take a drink as she attempted to calm herself down. Tifa obliged by taking small sips, breathing deeply.

"I'm… sorry… I just…. had to…" Tifa struggled between breaths.

"I know," Marlene sat next to the older girl on the floor now, leaning up against the counter.

So many thoughts raced and swirled around Tifa's head: Reno. It was definitely him. Only a few minutes prior, Reno was just meters away from her. Why? It had been nearly two months since she saw him last …since Junon. What was he doing here? ...of all places? He went AWOL from Shinra? From the Turks? Why? Did it have something to do…_with her_?

She had too many questions for her brain to process at the moment.

She _was not_ prepared for this.

Reno was here.

That's all she knew. For now.

She and Marlene sat in silence for a bit longer before she found the will to stand up and make her way to bed. Marlene hopped in bed beside her, both girls still fully-clothed, before Tifa drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

She'd work on this mystery tomorrow.

Her heart couldn't handle this just yet.

* * *

**_To be continued…_**


	22. Chapter 22

**Oh boy, you guys.**

**We're getting pretty diddily-darn close to the good stuff again! I promise, I promise, I PROMISE!**

**Hang in there. We'll get through this together.**

**Also, where's my reviews, herm? Someone? Anyone? Prrease? I want to know that I'm doing good by all of you. I just ... I JUST want to make you proud! And horny. You know that's why you're _really_ here. ADMIT IT.  
**

**OverByMidnight, you rock, BTW! Thanks for all the support. And big ups to all my other power reviewers. You know who you are. I love you all.**

**FFVII Belongs to Square Enix and Japan, but I really think it belongs to the fans at this point, don't you agree? I make no money. Plz no sue.**

**NJOY!**

**~V**

* * *

Tifa woke in a cold sweat. She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand which read '4:56AM' in glowing red numbers and letters. Marlene remained peacefully asleep next to her.

All at once, everything came rushing back to her.

Reno.

It _hadn't_ been a dream.

Slowly, she snuck out of bed as not to disturb Marlene, tiptoeing out of the room and down the tiny hallway to the bathroom. She splashed some cold water on her face and stripped out of the clothes and boots she had fallen asleep in. Clad only in her bra and panties, she wandered into the kitchen now instead of going back to bed. She put on a pot of coffee before sitting silence at the kitchen table, trying her damndest to process what she witnessed a only few hours prior.

Her heart raced while her tummy fluttered.

_'Reno's here….'_

That one inescapable fact replayed in her mind over and over and over.

_'So what now?'_

The coffee signaled that it had finished brewing with an electronic 'Beep!', which snapped her out of her swirling thoughts. She stood to pour herself a cup, extracting some coconut milk from the ice box to mix into the brew. Her hands were a bit shaky, so she accidentally spilled some of the milk on herself.

"I'm a mess," she mumbled as she grabbed a dish towel to wipe the sweet-smelling liquid from her thigh. She surmised that coffee wasn't going to necessarily help her jitters, but caffeine helped her focus, and right now she was _anything but_ focused.

By the time she finished her coffee, the clock above the sink read 5:30am. The first rays of sunlight were lighting the sky in pink and purple hues, as she busied herself in the dishes she neglected in the sink all week.

By 6am decided to go for a jog.

Quietly, she re-entered her bedroom, rummaging through her closet for her workout clothes and sneakers. Marlene woke just as she was tying her shoelaces. While rubbing sleep from her eyes, the younger girl asked, "Where are you going, Tifa?"

"Shh go back to sleep, sweetie," Tifa cooed. "I'm going for a jog. I'm not sure what time I'll be back. When you go to see Janice today, can you please tell her I need to postpone our training session?"

"Ohkay," Marlene laid back down.

Tifa was just about to leave when Marlene spoke up again– "Wait why aren't you training Janice today? Is it because of Reno?"

Tifa tensed. Of course that was the reason why.

"Sweetie," she began, "I have a lot on my mind today. It won't help Janice much if I'm distracted."

Marlene sat up again, searching for an explanation, "But… why did you run from him? Didn't you want to say 'hi' to him? Did he do something bad again?"

Tifa could never really hide anything from her adopted little girl. So she walked back over to the bed, sitting on the edge, stroking Marlene's hair before answering, "We've talked about it, sweetie. It's complicated. And yes, I'm mad at him right now for something he did."

"Is it because he and the Turks took me?" she looked up with at her caretaker sleepy eyes.

Tifa held her hand, "There's a lot of things I'm upset with him about, and now that he's got some business with Captain Harrison, I think it's best if we stay out of the way, okay? I'll talk to him when the time is right."

"Alright," Marlene agreed before bringing up another issue: "Tifa, what does 'A-Wall' mean? Reno said he went A-Wall? From Shinra?"

"AWOL," Tifa corrected her. "He went AWOL. It means he left without permission. It means he's either in big trouble or could get in big trouble ...or both."

Marlene sat on this information, trying to process it. "So maybe that means he's not a part of Shinra anymore? Since he came here like we did?"

Tifa couldn't quite believe it herself, so instead she answered, "Not necessarily. He could be lying."

"Yeah," Marlene agreed. "Why do Captain Harrison and Reno have the same red marks on their faces?"

Tifa shrugged her shoulders, "I honestly don't know. Maybe we'll find out soon. Maybe when your dad gets back from his assignment..."

Tifa figured it would be best for her to wait until Barret returned from his latest mission in Corel before delving back into the Reno topic. She'd just have to do her best to avoid the object of her burning desire until then -Which meant _no going underground. At all._ She couldn't risk running into Reno and falling to pieces before his eyes. She knew that Harrison would probably have him breaking a real sweat in the training facility for aptitude testing, as was the norm for all new recruits. She and Janice would only be meters away from him, and therefore things could get awkward REAL quick. The best possible option was to simply _stay away_.

Piece of cake, right?

_ 'But Reno could always just come __to you__, instead…'_ her logical mind nagged at her. She quieted it immediately and replaced it with thoughts of heading out and exercising on the beach until her emotions just shut the hell up.

Tifa changed the subject so she could leave on a lighter note than _'Reno's in town: Now what?'_

"You be good today, okay? Misses Harrison told me she needs some help potting her Gladiolus buds today if you don't mind helping her and Janice out? And please remember to let Janice know that I need to postpone her training until next week? Please tell her I'm busy today but I promise we'll work on spin kicks and power punches next week, okay?"

"You got it," Marlene yawned as she laid back down, snuggling into Tifa's bed pillows.

"There's cereal on the counter for breakfast. I'm opening the bar around eight, so be back by seven for dinner, alright?"

Marlene gave her a thumbs-up before drifting back to sleep.

* * *

Tifa jogged in the sand until her calves burned like the breath of Ifrit. She practiced hand-stands and one-handed somersault launches. She was getting stronger every day. She could feel it. She also felt bad for snubbing Janice, but it was all she could do to keep her sanity in-tact. She just wasn't ready to face Reno. Not yet. Her hormones and emotions were at war with one another, and her mind was on the sideline trying to process the output from the two opposing forces. One side screamed to run into his arms and let him screw her brains out, the other warned of heartache and pain, while her brain held a jumble of warnings and wondering and concern for his well-being and current situation (It also reminded her of all of the shit he put her through just a few months back).

"Fuck!" she yelled out in frustration as she failed to land a forward flip properly.

She laid there for a moment, fuming in the sand before noticing a shadow hovering above her.

"You alright?"

Tifa's eyes adjusted to the upside-down face above her.

It was Miguel, the ice-cream man. She had learned his name from Marlene. He stood above her in green swim trunks, clutching a bright orange surf board by his side. His hand was extended toward her in an offer of assistance (Not that she needed it. She could get up on her own _just fine_, thank you very much). She begrudgingly took it as he helped her stand.

"Thanks," she feigned a smile while brushing some sand from her shorts.

"You've got some serious moves," he laughed.

"That I do," she agreed in an almost challenging tone, as if to say: _'Don't mess with this.'_

Poor Miguel. He tried and tried often to get her to warm up to him. It's not that he wasn't handsome. He certainly was. He had light brown skin and the sculpted physique of a surfer/swimmer/dude who lived on the beach. He had short, wavy black hair, honey-colored eyes, and a face that held a certain boyish-charm. He was also extremely warm and genuine, with a great sense of humor. If Tifa wasn't such a hopeless head-case for a skinny, red-headed maniac who was currently stationed a quarter mile away from them doing god-knows-what underground, the kind soul who stood before her might have stood a chance in gaining her affections.

He remained forever unfazed by her cold-shoulder tactics and pressed on. "How's the new bar? I might stop by this weekend if I can convince my friends to come out. They're not big drinkers, but it's nice to go out once in a while," he scratched the back of his head, looking away in shyness.

"We open at eight. There's live music tonight," Tifa said in passing as she jogged away from the cute surfer.

"Great! I'll see you later!" he yelled after her retreating form, smiling as though she had just accepted a marriage proposal from him. He winced in pain, however, as he felt something graze by his arm. Uncertain of what it could be, he looked around in confusion, only to notice a now-searing pain within his bicep. When he examined it, he noticed it was bleeding. "What the…?" he looked around in utter confusion before jogging himself over to the medical clinic.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

"It's soup!" Tifa exclaimed in a sing-song voice as she placed two plates of macaroni and cheese on the kitchen table. Marlene had only stepped in the door a few minutes prior and was washing up in the bathroom sink. She entered the kitchen and plopped down at the table across from Tifa, who was already eating. Her appetite was enormous after a full day of working out, doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom from top to bottom, sweeping, and hanging the rest of the curtains and pictures in their living area.

"How was your day?" Tifa inquired with a hint of trepidation in her voice.

"Good," Marlene said, focusing on her food.

"Did you have a good time with Janice and Misses Harrison?"

"Mm-hm," Marlene chewed her food slowly. Tifa assessed that the younger girl was holding something back. She usually had MUCH more to say. _And_ she never avoided eye contact unless she was hiding something.

Tifa put down her fork to prod Marlene with her words, "What is it, Marlene?"

The young girl looked at her lap, "I don't know if I should say…"

"Don't know if you should say _what_?" Tifa eyed her suspiciously. She had that sinking feeling again.

Marlene fidgeted in her seat.

Tifa crossed her arms, "Out with it."

"Well," Marlene began, "I was playing basketball with Janice in the gym, and…"

"And…?" Tifa encouraged her.

"And _Reno_ was there with some other recruits."

"Go on, Marlene," Tifa knew there was more to the story.

"Well he, he came over and said 'hello' to us, to me…." Marlene shoveled another fork full of food into her mouth.

Tifa waited patiently for her to swallow before swirling her finger in an indication to speed up, "And what else?"

Marlene looked at the older girl now, painfully reluctant to tell her what happened next, clearing her throat before she said, "He, um, he …told me to tell you …that ….you looked really pretty on the beach this morning."

Tifa's jaw nearly dropped, but she caught herself the moment she let out a small puff of air; a gasp held in-check. "He _what_?"

"He said you looked really pretty on the beach. What did he say to you? Did he tell you why he's here?" Marlene took a gulp of juice before taking another bite of her dinner.

There was problem here that Marlene really didn't have to or even seem to know about: Tifa didn't say anything to him and he didn't say anything to her because she _didn't even know_ he was there.

He had been watching her.

Her lower tummy fluttered at the thought.

Was he watching her now? The thought sent her eyes darting around the room.

"Tifa?" Marlene looked distressed at the older girl's sudden change in behavior. She went from relaxed to paranoid in such a short amount of time.

"Oh," Tifa tried to focus, "He, uh, he didn't say anything to me really. I have to get downstairs to open up. Clean the dishes when you're finished please? I'll see you down there at eight, okay?" With that, Tifa placed her dish in the sink and grabbed her bar-tending apron from a hook on the wall before hastily tying it around her waist.

"Tifa?" Marlene questioned her behavior again.

"Okay!" she smiled at the confused girl in front of her. "I'll see you in a few. Friday night rush, so chop-chop!"

Tifa gave her a little wave before bolting out the door and down the wooden stairs, rounding the building to the entrance. She opened the door and began prepping for the busy night ahead of her.

* * *

Around Midnight, when things quieted down a little, Tifa shipped Marlene off to bed, thus affectively avoiding any more discussion revolving around the resident renegade Turk in their midst. Marlene did, however, make Tifa aware that Janice was pretty upset that she cancelled on her today. Tifa felt bad, but she didn't know how else to handle the situation. In an effort to rectify said situation, Tifa planned on surprising Janice with a new bicycle, along with the one she promised to purchase for Marlene. That way, Janice wouldn't feel left out that Marlene had a shiny new toy and she didn't. Tifa had more than enough gil saved to buy another bike, so why not treat Marlene's new best friend to something special? Harrison certainly had enough money to buy Janice a bicycle, but it didn't seem that Janice ever expressed any interest in owning or riding one. Tifa was sure that would change once she saw Marlene with her own. Heck, maybe Tifa would even buy one for herself? That way all three girls could tour the island on wheels together.

Tifa smiled at the thought, humming to herself as she wiped down the bar for the umpteenth time that night. Business was good. At the rate things were going, she'd probably have to hire another pair of hands to run bar-back for her. And maybe even a waitress too, once the kitchen opened.

"You're awfully pretty when you hum little tunes like that."

Tifa looked up from the rag she had been wringing out in the glassware sink.

"I know we're late but you're still serving, right?"

It was Miguel …and two of his friends.

_Goody._

By 1am the only people left in the bar were Tifa, Miguel, and _'what's-their-faces'_.

After three rounds of shots and a few beers each, the boys had loosened up quite a bit. She had to admit, their antics and joking were quite amusing, so she couldn't bring herself to throw them out just yet.

"Oh! And how about this?!" Miguel boasted loudly, begging for Tifa's attention. "This morning -after I ran into you, I GOT SHOT!" he shouted before lifting his tee shirt sleeve to reveal a bandaged bicep. "Doc gave me _nine stitches_, can you believe it?!"

Tifa ceased cleaning the glass she was holding to lean in and inspect his wound.

"What in the world?" Tifa wondered aloud.

"I know, right? Doc said I was lucky. The bullet only grazed me but MA-AN, I didn't even know what happened! I've never been SHOT before, so how was I supposed to know?" he said before downing the last of his beer.

"Was probably someone from that underground army or whatever," his drunken blonde surfer friend chimed in. "There's more 'n' more of 'em running around here these days, so you gotta watch out for 'friendly fire', dude," he laughed.

His other friend, a tall, dark-skinned man chimed in, "Someone should flood those fuckers outta the tunnels. Run the lot of 'em outta here!"

They were getting rowdy now, so Tifa figured it was best to cut them off.

"Closing time, guys. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here," Tifa signaled with the ringing of a cowbell behind the bar. She was bombarded by a litany of, "Aww's" and "Already's?" and "Just one more's!" -Nothing she hadn't heard before. Eventually, though, the boys gave in and retreated. Tifa followed close behind to lock up the door behind them. Miguel stopped at the doorway, however, turning to ask her a question burning inside his mind before exiting.

Liquid courage likely fueled his boldness, "You're an awesome girl, Tifa. Go on a date with me? Please?"

His companions teasingly whooped and whistled behind him.

Unable to hurt his pride in front of his friends, she chose instead to answer sweetly, "I'll think about it."

He smiled like a little kid at an amusement park. With that, she shooed him out the door, shutting it tight, turning both locks and closing the blinds before exhaling deeply. She got to work breaking down for the night. It felt good to be back in her old routine. As she swept up the last of the dirt piles on the floor, though, a thought struck her like lightning. The dustpan fell out of her hands and hit the floor with a loud 'Clang!'

_Miguel's wounded arm._ The doctor said 'somebody shot him' -right after he spoke to her that morning.

Marlene had also revealed that Reno had been watching her train on the beach that morning.

All of the pieces fell into place.

_'Oh NO…'_

* * *

Tifa paced around her living room, chewing her thumbnail in anxiety.

Would Reno really hurt a man that he knew nothing about simply for _talking_ to her? Did he see Miguel as a _threat_? Did he really have to take it _that_ _far_?

Probably. Reno was a bit of a loose cannon, so to speak, so you could never really predict what he was going to do next. If he felt like blowing up a bridge on a certain day, he just might do it. If he felt like volunteering at an animal shelter another day, he just might do it. And so on and so forth. Showing up here in Mideel, however, topped the list of 'Things Reno did that Tifa could never predict'.

The other nagging question was: "What did he plan on doing next?"

She decided to take a warm shower to calm her nerves. Lathering up with papaya shampoo and ginger body scrub, Tifa relished in the perfumed water as it streamed over her tense muscles.

After her shower, she lingered outside of Marlene's door momentarily, making sure she was asleep before wandering down the hall into her own room. She discarded her hair and body towels on the floor as she made her way to her dresser, extracting a white undershirt and polka-dot panties to wear to bed. She pulled a comb through her extensive tresses , teasing out any pesky knots. She really liked how her hair looked these days. The sea-salt air of the island did wonders for her dried out tresses and—

She stopped her train of thought when she noticed something sitting atop a pile of pillows on her bed.

Something she _never _expected to see again.

Her missing strongbox.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	23. Chapter 23

**Guess who's back?**

**Me. **

**Oh and Reno: Everyone's favorite Redhead.**

**Guys I love you so much and that's why I'm giving you my longest chapter yet.**

**Feedback is appreciated!**

**Kisses!**

**~V**

**(FFVII and it's characters are property of Squeeeeenix and not me, no money is being made here even though I desperately need it.)**

* * *

"Polkadots!"

All morning, _all stinking morning_, Tifa tried and tried _and __tried again_ to get their pesky parrot companion to cease repeating the same word over and over: "Polkadots!"

"_Please_ Bongo!" she cried, "Enough!" She covered her ears, turning away in utter frustration.

"Polkadots!" he squawked loudly in defiance.

The seldom-agitated fighter had awoken only few minutes earlier to the colorful bird exclaiming the word 'Polkadots' –loudly- as though he couldn't quite help himself. Tifa could handle many difficult situations. She was typically the 'level-headed one' in any circumstance, but the frequency at which the seemingly-innocent parrot rapid-fired the word at her was _beyond _maddening. In the meantime, Marlene had entered Tifa's room to see what all the commotion was about.

"What is he saying?" the younger girl inquired, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she walked up to stand beside the older girl.

Both Tifa and Bongo answered in unison, "Polkadots!" Marlene couldn't help but giggle at the strange display. "He won't stop," Tifa pleadingly looked to Marlene, desperate for any help she might be able to offer. "You can get him to say other things, can't you, sweetie? _Please_ \- just make him **stop** **saying it!"**

"Polkadots! Polkadots!" Bongo would not relent. Nothing would quiet him. It was insufferable.

"I don't know what brought this on all of a sudden. Hearing him say _'Bongo'_ fifty times a day is annoying, but _this_?! I **cannot** deal with this…." she rubbed the bridge of her nose in an effort to ease an oncoming migraine.

"Polkadots!" he added for an extra-kick.

Tifa whirled to give him what-for: "Would you _please_? Stop. Bongo, just – **STOP**!"

"Please stop!" he mimicked then whistled, "Polkadots!"

Tifa growled in near-rage—which wasn't helping her splitting headache much.

"Tifa," Marlene offered her outsider's observation, "Maybe it's because of _you_ -because of what you're wearing?"

Tifa looked down to her current state of attire: She was still clad in the white t-shirt and polka-dot panties from the night before.

She was dumbfounded.

"I don't get it," her eyes darted in confusion before landing on Marlene, "Does Bongo like polkadots or something? He likes what I'm wearing…?"

"No," Marlene studied the bird for a moment, searching for an explanation, "Not that I know of, anyway. He only repeats what people say to him, or what people teach him to say. I've never heard him say …you know," she actively avoided the 'p-word', "…_that_ before."

Tifa couldn't help but have a sneaking suspicion that _someone_ told the talking bird exactly what to say, and she was fairly certain _who_ the culprit was: Somebody who liked her polkadot lingerie.

Oh he was definitely watching her.

_That sneaky fucker..._

She figured she shouldn't have been surprised, though. Her open-air windows left for little privacy if the Peeping Tom was a deft climber (which Reno without a doubt, was). She made a note to completely close her curtains each night because anyone who decided to scale a palm tree nearby could get a nice view of her in her birthday suit (Not that he hadn't seen that _and more_ already. But still…)

She had to be more careful.

Tifa's thoughts wandered back to her strongbox. Did Reno place it there? He must have. She took another mental note that he likely had no problem breaking into her place; both _this_ new apartment _and_ her old home in Edge. Again, it was much easier to break into this place due to her lack of security or glass windows with latched in the living space. The apartment windows were either open-air or held screens with shutters; which was nothing substantial to keep intruders out.

_Great._

So she asked Marlene out of sheer curiosity, "Marlene, do you see the metal box over there?" pointing to the object her nightstand. "Have you ever seen it …or tried to open it before?"

Marlene moved her gaze from the squawking parrot on the ground to the metal case that Tifa was now referring to. The younger girl's face didn't give any hint of recognition as she answered, "No. What's in it?"

That settled it. It was Reno. It was all Reno. It had to be.

"It's a an old box of memories. Maybe you and me can sit down at some point and take a look at it?" she smiled at the little girl standing beside her.

"Sure!"

"Polkadots!" Bongo exclaimed, for the thousandth time.

"Oh would you – **SHUSH!**" Tifa charged at him, which prompted the colorful bird to fly out the window in retreat. "And stay out!" she added. "Don't come back until you learn not to talk to strangers!" she yelled after him.

* * *

That afternoon Tifa oversaw the placement and hanging of the new sign above her bar. She skipped her morning workout to see to it that she had enough helping hands to lift the sign and nail it into place (and not to mention that she was avoiding the hopeless, ice-cream-vending surfer dude, as well as her sneaky, underhanded, flame-haired stalker).

_What a life…_

The bar sign was delivered at noon that day by the local wood carvers: an old man and his nephew who happened to be native islanders, as well as multi-generational craftsmen.

"It's perfect!" Tifa's eyes lit up the moment she saw it. It was a colorful wooden sign which read **'Final Heaven'** in bold letters -with a parrot sporting a halo carved into it. She nixed the whole _'holding a margarita'_ _idea_, choosing instead to replace it with a halo in homage to her bar's namesake. She would have loved the result that their labors produced even more, had she not been so aggravated with the particular bird that inspired the design. She couldn't be angry with Bongo, though, since he was just following orders. _Reno_ was the one she should really be annoyed with…

What else was new?

She was still in shock that he was here, and still unable to face him for fear of what the outcome might be…

"What do you think, Marlene?" she called to the young lady who was currently standing on front deck of the building.

Marlene ran down to get a look at the new sign that stood proudly above the bar. "I like it!" she jumped up and down, clapping her hands in approval. Tifa insisted that Marlene spend the day above ground with her today -to keep her company, _and_ to avoid any more uncomfortable run-ins with the ex-Turk who was no-doubt off being sneaky somewhere at the moment. Lord knows what he'd say to Marlene next. She could imagine it now, in horrific detail: _Marlene would look up at Tifa with those innocent doe-eyes before asking, _'Reno told me to ask you if you remember that night in Cosmo Canyon?' -_Or something to that effect._ She chose to nip that in the bud before he had the chance to bend Marlene to his will, much like he had already done to their adopted pet parrot.

The rest of the weekend went without any more interruptions from Harrison, Reno, or any other underground business. Saturday night drew even more customers than the last, prompting Tifa to consider hiring a bar-back ASAP.

The following week involved brief callisthenic training each morning in the comfort of her own home, busting her ass at the bar each night, placing stock orders, and taking Marlene and Janice to the local bike shop on Wednesday to pick out bicycles, so that they could all ride around the island together (As well as purchasing one for herself, too, because she deserved a little something in celebration of her new business endeavor).

The trio of girls rode out of the bike shop together; Marlene on a pink and white bike with a cute little flower basket attached to it, Janice on a dark purple trick bike, and Tifa on a brilliant blue ladies mountain bike.

Janice laughed out loud as she sped down the hill ahead of them, her braids whipping behind her as she let out a loud "WooHoo!" It was hard to believe that the girl never rode a bicycle in her life, but Janice had the uncanny ability to learn anything quickly -_especially_ if it had to do with sporting or being proficient in an athletic fashion. Tifa winced slightly in maternal anxiety as Janice stood in a balancing act on her bicycle seat, yet fully trusting that she would be fine. Janice was testing her own limits, so who was Tifa to stop her?

"Show off," Marlene remarked as she rode a bit more carefully along-side Tifa.

* * *

_Thursday morning…_

"I don't like the new guy," Janice said, huffing as she punched the mitts Tifa used to protect her palms from the onslaught of punches that she instructed the younger girl to execute.

That morning the girls trained in the privacy of Tifa and Marlene's living room -instead of the dreaded underground training facility. Tifa refused to go back down there, refused to face the white elephant that resided within that network of tunnels and bunkers (*The white elephant being a pig-headed Turk who liked to torment her.) She hadn't heard from or about Reno all week -not since the 'Polkadot Incident' which she presumed was his handiwork, selectively flushing out any thoughts of him whenever one would pop into her head. She knew she couldn't avoid him forever, but she didn't have it in her to face him just yet.

When she woke up that morning, Bongo had finally returned after an extended absence, only to taunt her again; this time with a different arsenal of words: "Hey gorgeous!" he squawked. He had also taken a liking to saying, "Sexy Mama". Repeatedly.

So she chased him out.

Again.

With a broom this time.

Tifa returned her attention to the matter at hand: Janice had said that she 'didn't like the new guy'. One could only assume that she was referring to Reno. The man instilled ill-feelings in so many people. Tifa wondered what it must be like to live like that.

"Why's that?" Tifa asked, feigning ignorance on the subject.

Janice punched harder now before answering, "He shady. He came up outta nowhere an' he an' my daddy got REAL close REAL quick. Daddy don't talk about him though. He jus' spends all his time wit' him. I dunno why HE'S so special."

"Hm," Tifa nodded, lowering her mitts. "That's enough for today. Be sure to practice on the punching bag in the gym before we meet again next week."

"Yeah," Janice nodded. "So you know him? Tha new guy?"

Tifa busied herself in her equipment bag, speaking over her shoulder to her new trainee, "I know who he is. He lived in Edge, too. He worked for Shinra but he helped me and my friends out when we were in a bind once or twice." She purposely left out the part where they had mind-blowing, earth-shattering, back-arching, _toe-curling_ physical encounters …and all of their misadventures together, too -for obvious reasons. Tifa explicitly instructed Marlene to only tell Janice the bare minimum about who Reno was and their relationship with him. That way their stories matched up. She had faith in Marlene and that she wouldn't break her word of bond. Janice seemed to be satisfied with her answer, though, so Tifa felt a little more at ease talking about him.

"I dunno. Shinra's bad news. I hope nuttin' bad happens while he's here."

"Me too," Tifa agreed. If Reno was here on the run that meant Shinra couldn't be far behind him…

* * *

The Thursday night crowd thinned out around 11pm, so Tifa instructed Marlene to re-rack the clean glasses and mugs while she began flipping stools onto the tables in preparation to sweep up the floors. She walked over to the door to lock up, but froze when she saw a pair of eyes on the front deck looking back at her through the screen. There he was, a few meters away, leaning against one of the palm tree trunks that held up the awning above the deck, smoking a cigarette like his presence was nothing out of the ordinary. Tifa's breath hitched in her throat and before she could stop herself, she fumbled to close the big wooden door, locking it tight behind her.

"That's good enough for tonight, Marlene!" she called out in a sing-song voice. She decided to leave sweeping up for the morning as she made her way to the back exit. Marlene followed her before clicking off the lights and leaving through the back door, locking up and walking quickly up the wooden stairs to their apartment.

Tifa tried to slow her racing heart as she got Marlene ready for bed. The apparition on the porch was much too close and much too real for her to handle right now.

_'Not ready…'_

"So what's in that box you showed me last week?" Marlene asked out of the blue, wiping toothpaste from her mouth with a small blue hand towel before clicking off the bathroom light.

"Oh!" Tifa had nearly forgotten about it. Good -that would serve as a nice distraction to get her mind off of her run-in with the devil a few minutes ago. "Let's open it up and see…"

Marlene hopped up on Tifa's bed while the older girl closed her bedroom curtains. Tifa brought the box over to the bed, placing it on top of the sheets. She knew the pass code by heart, 30-00-06-02…, twisting the dial until a latch could be heard clicking within it. The box opened to reveal several items: Jesse's scarf, gloves, and bandana, all of which Marlene tried on and wore while Tifa sifted through the rest of its contents. Marlene examined the porcelain Chocobo figurine that Master Zangan gifted to Tifa on her thirteenth birthday -while Tifa ran her fingernails across Aerith's Master Heal Materia. The sheet music that Tifa's mother wrote sat at the bottom, as well as a letter from Cloud that was written during his pre-SOLDIER boot camp days. She felt it best to leave save _that_ tear-stained paper for a rainy day.

Tifa looked at Marlene who now donned Jesse's accessories. She struggled to fight the tears which threatened to spill from behind her eyes. She wanted to cry her fallen comrades, for the strong women with whom she fought alongside of, who she laughed and cried with in times of celebration and turmoil. The young lady who sat before her was no longer the little girl whom she helped nurture in a time of chaos and strife. Marlene was blossoming into a young woman who would help lead the next generation of Gaians into a (hopefully) brighter, more sustainable future.

"Marlene," she instructed, "Give me your hand."

Marlene complied as she extended her palm towards her beautiful caretaker. Tifa aptly took Marlene's small hand into her own; flipping it over to place Aerith's heal materia into a slot on the back of Jesse's glove. Marlene's eyes sparkled as she appraised the glowing green orb. The Materia had an energetic pulse to it, and the fact that it belonged to Aerith made it extra-special to Marlene. Aerith's life energy emanated from it, filling the room with her essence.

"Was this Aerith's materia?" Marlene asked, fully-knowing the answer to her own question. She wanted voice the name of the lovely flower girl who protected her when she was younger, and who continued to watch over them both from the other side of the Lifestream. Tifa nodded, smiling in fond remembrance of the enchanting Ancient.

"I… I don't know how to use materia…" Marlene studied the orb with her fingers in fascination.

"I'll teach you," Tifa smiled, yawning as Marlene crawled up next to her, settling into the fluffy pillows beside her as both girls drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Late Friday Night…_

"And then when I opened up my shed the first thing I noticed was my tires were slashed!"

Tifa listened while she polished a glass as Miguel recanted the story he had been telling to her and other patrons all night: Someone broke into his shed and messed with his ice cream cart, which unfortunately left his business out of-commission for the time being. His bike tires had been slashed and coolant from the freezer was emptied all over the ground. Tifa had a pretty good idea who the culprit was, but she chose to keep her mouth shut about the matter. Reno's meddling was getting out of hand. Miguel was harmless, and even so, what if she decided to go on a date with him? What then? Would his body wash ashore on the southwest beach the following day? This was turning into some unnecessary trouble…

"I don't get it!" Miguel held his head in his hands as his buddy pat him on the back.

"Don't sweat it, man," his friend tried to comfort him. "My cousin runs the bike shop. I can get you new tires at a discount if that helps."

"Thanks man," he took a swig of his _sixth_ beer, a little past tipsy now as we has obviously unaccustomed to drinking much. Tifa surmised he was drowning his sorrows due to his current 'streak of bad luck'. "I just don't know what the deal is, ya know? It's like someone's out to get me…" His eyes glazed over.

"Who did you piss off, man?" his friend laughed as he tipped his own beer back. "First you nearly get picked off by _friendly fire_ -and now _this_? I bet one has to do with the other…"

"That's the **thing**—I can't figure it out! There's a guy with a fried food cart from outside Banora who comes to town once in a while, but I'm no competition to him… I just don't get it…" he shook his head in near-helplessness.

At that moment, Tifa came a near centimeter from dropping the glass of beer she had been pouring for another customer.

Harrison had entered the bar, followed by a pretty confident-looking Reno.

And he looked good.

_Shit._

She took a few steadying breaths to calm herself as she made eye contact with Harrison, who in-turn gave her a friendly nod. She then turned her attention to the object of her inner-turmoil as he flashed a toothy grin at her. However, his expression shifted somewhat. He sported an impish look with his eyebrow cocked as he noticed Miguel seated at the bar, before settling his eyes on Tifa in amusement. She flashed him a warning glare to which he did not waiver. Then to her complete horror, Reno strode over to occupy the empty seat beside Miguel, while Harrison took the stool next to Reno.

"Welcome," Tifa smiled at Harrison. She then directed a more forced smile at Reno, who was busy extracting a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. His new attire fit Harrison's group of mercenaries well: An olive-green T-shirt, camouflage cargo pants and black combat boots. He donned his ever-present pilot goggles and wild hairdo, but most-notably gone was his signature ponytail. Harrison had forced him to lop it off, no doubt. He also looked considerably less thin than when she encountered him at the mercy of Harrison over a week prior. He was still the same old tall, lanky Reno …only much less gaunt and sickly-looking since she last saw him clearly in the underground holding area. The deep welts on his neck and arms weren't as evident, but still noticeable to her eyes at least. His EMR dangled from his belt loop as he leaned forward on the counter awaiting service from his favorite bartender.

Miguel and his surfer friend, as well as the few other patrons in the bar, visibly recoiled from the two intimidating customers who had waltzed in the door like they owned the place (which Harrison technically did. Partially...). It was now after midnight and Tifa had planned on closing up soon since the bar was fairly quiet that night. She figured since prime tourism season was coming to a close and the rainy season was set to begin, business was apt to drop off a bit. Autumn was approaching in the northern hemisphere -where most of Mideel's tourism came from- and school would be back in session soon. She made a mental note that she had to enroll Marlene in classes at the local elementary school, which was also a recent addition to the 'new and improved Mideel'.

"What can I get for you fellas?" Tifa wiped her hands on a bar rag before readying a set of glasses, her insides churning while she remained calm, cool, and collected on the outside.

"I'd like to try that Vanilla Cola that Marlene recommended," Harrison smiled, "With a splash of rum, of course."

The older man placed a few bills of local currency on the bar before looking over to Reno, who had placed his pack of cigarettes on the bar, leaning on his elbows and scratching behind his ear before speaking, "I'll take a Banora hard cider and a shot…" he said casually while reaching across the bar to retrieve an ash tray, "How 'bout a filthy dick?" he finished with a twinkle in his eye as he lit up a cigarette.

Tifa discreetly grit her teeth. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to punch him in the mouth and dropkick him across the bar. She wanted him to grab hold of her and kiss her stupid.

Instead she simply smiled and said, "Sure thing."

She got to work on the drinks, noting Miguel trying to get her attention as she mixed aforementioned the shot in her shaker. "So how about that date?" he grinned.

_Good lord…_

She smiled in agony, noting that Reno was eying her up as he took a drag of his cigarette. He was clearly amused. Oh, how she wished she could slap that stupid grin off his pretty face.

"I have a lot going on, Miguel…" she dodged the second request from her blissfully ignorant and beyond-tipsy suitor.

"Yeah, yeah," Miguel waved his hand. "When are you NOT busy?" he laughed in defeat.

Tifa smiled apologetically before returning her attention to the two men of the hush-hush underground militia seated next to him.

"So," Harrison began as Tifa served him his drink, followed by Reno's hard cider and shot, leaving the stainless-steel mixer with the rest of the alcohol next to it (so he could serve himself instead of bothering her for more 'filthy dicks'). "I understand you're already acquainted with my associate here," he motioned his thumb towards Reno, who winked at her before throwing back his shot.

It took all of her willpower to keep from visibly cringing. Tifa honestly didn't want to know to what extent Harrison knew of their _'acquaintance'_ with one another.

"I am," she nodded as she dunked two mugs into the small sink behind the bar, washing glassware in preparation to close down the bar within the next half-hour.

"Hm," Harrison took a sip of his mixed drink, enjoying the pleasant vanilla aroma. He began to speak again, this time in a lower voice meant only for Tifa's ears, "I've assigned him to help convince you to join our cause. My hope is that both he and Wallace can sway you over to our side. You'd be a great asset to us." He extended his hand over his shoulder to Reno, who in-turn handed him his lighter. "You've done a fine job in training my Janice in self-defense and martial arts these past few weeks," he extracted a cigar from his jacket, lighting it up to puff on it. "All she talks about is you and your Marlene. She admires you both very much," he smiled warmly.

Tifa noted that Barrett would probably be enraged that Harrison had used his name in association with Reno in any way. And what's more, she was intrigued with the fact that Reno appeared to be Harrison's right hand man (literally). She wondered what exactly their relationship was. How did Reno go from being talked down upon and nearly shunned by Harrison -to being best buddies who shared drinks and lighters and personal space? Reno seemed closer to him than any of the the Turks, even. Which was saying A LOT.

"I'm glad Janice is enjoying herself. She's a good student, a really quick learner. She's exceptional," Tifa smiled before walking over to her cowbell, ringing it loudly to signal last call.

She was greeted with the typical "Aww's" and patrons rushing to order their last drinks and close out their tabs for the night.

As she poured her last two beers, she noticed Reno sliding his canister of shots in Miguel's direction. "Here you go, Pal," Reno did his best to appear genuine. "I'm done for the night," he took a drag of his cigarette as he side-eyed the man who was obviously vying for Tifa's affections.

"Really?" Miguel's eyes lit up. "Thanks man," he obligingly took the metal shaker, dumping back its contents in a fairly drunken-fashion.

"Enjoy," Reno smiled as he took another drag of his cigarette, making direct eye-contact with Tifa, who was now fuming. Miguel had more than enough to drink and Reno knew it. That mixer held at least five more shots, which was enough to push the unsuspecting man (or any man, really) over the edge. Tifa planned to cut Miguel off before he had a chance to order any more alcohol, but Reno had beaten her to the punch.

_A few minutes later…._

"Whyyyy won't you go on a date with meee?" Miguel pleaded, reaching his hand over the bar in an attempt to touch Tifa's arm. "Just one date! I'm not a bad guy, I promise!" His friend tried pulling him back to no avail.

"I know, sweetie," she tried to deter him. He had obviously lost all self control, no thanks to Reno and his meddling ways.

"Then why …. Why won't you go out with me?" he tried again.

"Because I'm not looking to date anyone right now," she avoided Reno and Harrison's section of the bar as she began re-racking her liquor. The only patrons left in the establishment were Harrison, Reno, Miguel, and his surfer buddy.

"That's BULLSHIT!" Miguel was frustrated now as his voice got louder. The hard liquor he ingested wasn't helping matters much. "She dodges everyone who asks her out so don't even waste your breath," he nudged Reno in the shoulder, looking for someone to commiserate with. Reno simply shrugged in response, his arm slung over the back of the stool, unfazed as he leaned back and took another drag of his cigarette, exhaling a plume of tobacco smoke towards the ceiling.

"I can't believe this," Miguel shakily stood from his stool now, his buddy helping him stand as he attempted to make a dramatic exit. "Fuck this!" he hollered, nearly toppling over as he made his way to the door. Tifa heard an amused snort come from Reno.

"I'm sorry Miguel," Tifa called over to him. "Get home safe!"

"Yeah I'll bet you are!" he hollered back at her. "What do you care anyway…" he mumbled as he left, his friend close behind him, making sure he didn't fall over or hurt himself. That didn't last long, however, as a loud crash could be heard from the front deck. Miguel had aptly walked into a patio chair and fallen down the steps.

Tifa looked over to Harrison and Reno now, who were both snickering at the drunken fool on the porch. She wanted to scold them both but instead sighed and continued to break down for the night. There was no use in getting riled up, as her plan was to ignore Reno until he and Harrison caved and left her bar.

She was in no mood to entertain them any longer.

"Some men lament what they cannot have in a boorish fashion. Sorry you have to deal with such poor behavior, Tifa," Harrison lifted his glass in a toast to her, before finishing the last of its contents.

"No worries. I'm used to it. Comes with the territory," Tifa said over her shoulder as she counted her cash drawer.

"Well, that's it for me, I'm afraid. Thank you for the drinks," Harrison stood up, pushing his cash forward on the bar.

"Sure thing, Captain. It's on the house," she dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

"I insist," he patted the cash, leaving it where it was as he adjusted his jacket. "I know you're busy with your new business here, but please be sure to stop by and visit my wife, won't you? She misses your company."

"Thank you, I will," she turned and smiled at him, noting that Reno remained seated, snuffing out his cigarette before reaching for his drink.

The older man leaned into his young companion, placing a sturdy hand on his shoulder while speaking directly into his ear, "You will behave yourself and treat your bartender with respect, understood?"

Reno cocked his brow and half-grinned, looking directly at Tifa as he replied, "Of course."

She visibly shivered.

Harrison straightened up before speaking again, "Good. I'll see you at oh nine hundred." He turned his attention back to Tifa, "Have a lovely night, Tifa."

"You too…" she smiled after him while twisting a rag in her hands.

And then he was gone.

Now the darndest thing happened the moment that she and Reno were left alone: She was consumed by the overwhelming urge to flee the scene. She felt like a helpless little animal who was about to fall prey to the big bad wolf. In her moment of panic, she slapped her rag down on the bar, walked briskly to the back door, and stomped out, slamming the door behind her. She didn't exactly know where she was going or even why, but she knew that she had to clear the area immediately. She was quite simply fleeing from her overwhelming emotions. She busted out of the place into the dim moonlight, fully aware that he would be trailing behind her soon. He wasn't about to let her flee from him again, oh no. Not now that he had some form of control over the situation. His presence had been made completely known now, instead of just hovering around her like a watchful hawk the way he had been doing for the past week.

She heard the door slam again, followed by his footsteps in the island grass behind her. "Tifa," he spoke lowly, honing in on her quickly.

She froze momentarily, but continued walking at a much faster pace now.

"I'm right here, Teef. You can't ignore me forever," Reno said as he kept up her pace. _Damn him for being so agile!_ He was more often than not, _much_ faster than she was. "And I sure as hell can't ignore _you_. I can't stay away from you and you know it." He was in front of her now, jogging backwards. She refused to look at him as she continued her stride.

"You think you're REALLY funny, don't you?" she shot at him in frustration , referring to his antics at the expense of the local ice-cream vendor.

He stifled a laugh, "Whaddaya mean?"

Then, without warning, she turned on her heel to dart off in another direction.

"Goddammit Tifa!" he seethed as he lost her in the dark of the jungle night. She ran onward through the brush, kicking up sand, dodging large palm leaves and branches. She heard heavy footfalls and muttered curses coming from behind her as she struggled to see what direction she was headed in. She was taken aback when the devil himself appeared in front of her -sporting his signature toothy grin. _Always faster than her…_

"You can run but you can't hide from a Turk," he reminded her with a wag of his finger.

She crossed her arms to look him up and down before stating, "You're not a Turk anymore, dude. They won't take you back now that you went AWOL. They'll kill you."

Reno kicked his boot in the sand as he placed his hands in his pockets, "Yeah probably. But still, I'll _always_ be a Turk. You can't really deprogram that sort of thing. They hardwire it into your skull …with needles and pills and everything else they've got in their creepy metal cabinets."

Tifa brushed a strand of hair from her face as she continued to fidget uncomfortably in front of him. She chose not to look at him, instead focusing her gaze upon the white beach that was illuminated by the full moon just beyond the trees. She could practically feel his eyes searing through her. _Always so intense, that one._

"I really missed you," he admitted. "That night… when Harrison found me, I couldn't believe it. When I looked up and saw your face I thought I was dead for sure. I was like: _'How did I -**of **_**_all_**_** people-**__ …make it into heaven?' _That made _zero_ sense," he laughed to himself. "But then I got cracked across the face so I figured I was probably in hell -and that you were just a gorgeous mirage sent to torment me," he snickered in amusement at the unpleasant memory.

She huffed in mild annoyance before looking directly at him, "Flattery won't get you anywhere, Reno."

"It never does! Not with you, anyway," he smiled. "You're too classy for all that, yo. I cannot woo you with my charms," he wiggled his fingers at her before placing his hands back in his pockets.

_'Charms, huh?'_

She looked at him in contempt before firing off: "And neither will talking parrots, or messing with people's property, OR _playing telephone messenger with Marlene!_" She crossed her arms tightly across her midsection as she was flustered now.

He simply scoffed at her attempt to make him feel bad.

…and then they were quiet.

The sound of waves crashing and crickets chirping provided soothing background noise as awkward tension surged between them. Tifa, unsure of what to do next, considered her options: She could run, but he would probably catch her. That was her first mistake. She could plop her butt down on the sand and simply refuse to talk to him. Or, _heaven help her_, she could maybe open up to him and let him back into her life.

Reno was pretty good at waiting for her while she made up her mind. He seemed to know that if he could just suck it up and be patient (which he loathed to do) he'd get what he wanted from her. Eventually. He was a Turk, after all. Interrogation and intel were his specialties. (Oh, and blowing shit up. Yeah. That, too.)

Tifa began walking again, so of course Reno followed two steps behind. She noticed a glow out of the corner of her eye; He had lit up another cigarette behind her as they walked along the moonlit jungle path. She listened as he exhaled the tobacco smoke behind her. She really frustrated the hell out of him, she could tell. Her noncompliance always drove him to smoke. Or lash out. Or whine like a little kid. She figured she would leave him wondering for a bit longer. Heaven knows she wondered about him for months… She was ready to give up on him entirely, but fate had other plans for the two of them, it seemed.

The path eventually led to a small boardwalk that jutted out along the shoreline. The southwest beach was deserted at this time of night. Tifa could have kicked herself. She had unknowingly walked them both straight into a cheesy romance novel device: A moonlit beach.

_Ugh…_

Regardless, she hiked forward.

"Are you gonna talk to me at all?" he tried again.

"No," she quickly shot over her shoulder as she continued walking.

He made his way in front of her once more, walking backwards while he smoked. The man was insufferable.

So she turned and walked the other way.

"Tifa," he growled in annoyance. Reno's least favorite thing was being ignored. That… and being cut off at the bar. Tifa just so happened to be an expert at both of said things.

Suddenly and without warning she felt arms around her midsection. Before she had time to think her body reacted. She reached up to grab the perpetrator by the shoulders, yanking him by the shirt as she crouched down, supporting his weight with her back as she flipped his whole body forward and tossed him unceremoniously into the sand in front of her.

A very stunned Reno looked up at her from his place in the sand and coughed, "Whoa," he coughed again, "somebody's been training, huh?"

_He would know, wouldn't he? Spying on her as she trained on the beach… Not to mention nicking Miguel in the shoulder with a bullet…_

Tifa was completely surprised by her own reaction. She honestly hadn't meant to lay Reno out like that. That was not her intention whatsoever. It just sort of… happened. In her moment of awe, however, Reno reached out to grab her by the ankle, slamming her down to the ground before pinning her body into the sand with his own. He knelt above her, holding her by the wrists and pressing down on her hip with his knee.

"I like it better when we're like this, babe," his face was inches from hers now, smiling innocently as he bore down upon her. For someone so skinny, he sure was heavy…

"Reno!" she yelled in his face, causing him to wince. "Get off!"

"I don't think I want to," he snarled as he brought his face closer to hers. "And I don't like being beat up and screamed at and _ignored_ by the woman who's practically _tortured me_ in my dreams every fucking night for the past couple a months!"

She softened a little at that, gazing back into his tormented eyes, unable to look away as he spoke so candidly. He really did miss her, too. He thought about her as much as she thought about him.

_Damn it all…_

"Come on, Reno…" she huffed angrily before he interrupted.

"I had no idea where the fuck you went," he said as loosened his grip, releasing her wrists before pulling her up, leaning her against him in an affectionate embrace. "I can't fucking let you go now, Teef. I just… I needed you to look at me like that again, that's all," he took her hand in his own, kissing her fingertips before holding her palm against his cheek, inhaling her sweet scent. They sat there for a while, studying each other, trying desperately to read each others thoughts. "I thought Strife took you and hid you away from me somewhere. I thought I'd never get to see you or touch you again," Reno admitted as he traced a finger along her jaw. "I wouldn't blame him if he did, either."

Tifa touched his wrist lightly in response, "I've been here, Reno - in Mideel. I haven't seen Cloud… in a while. I've been here trying to build a new life. Just me and Marlene. And Barret comes around when he can. Harrison's been… he's been good to us."

Reno snorted at that, "He's good to_ everybody_. At first. But then he brings down the hammer…"

"And you honestly think Shinra is better?" she asserted. She knew Harrison could be a bit…demanding. But his intentions seemed noble enough. And what was his relationship to Reno anyway?

He let out a big huff at that, "Not much, but they have a pension. And you don't have to live in the ground in the goddamn jungle. And they have better weapons. Lots of perks, too…"

"How…" she began, dismissing his Shinra tangent, "how did you get out? Of Shinra? How come nobody got you before you had a chance to get away? What happened to you after Junon?" Tifa snaked her hands up onto his shoulders now, her nagging curiosity piquing her brain as her thoughts streamed in his direction .

Reno rubbed her back in response, "We've got lots of time, babe. Right now I just wanna be with you, okay? It's been a minute since I saw you last... And I was pretty much in hell for a while. That whole time, yanno, all that kept me going was maybe seeing you again. I swear to god I didn't ever think it would be this _soon_, yo. -And with _motherfucking_ _Harrison_ _of all people_-!"

She studied him a moment longer before speaking, "Yeah, well, here I am…" she smiled softly.

"Yeah," he smiled back with a glint in his eye, "Here you are."

"I'm sorry I threw you on the ground," she laughed a little.

He laughed now, too, "S'okay. I've had worse. From you, no less. I should have known better. You're a tough cookie, yanno that?"

"I know," she grinned.

He dropped his voice to a hush to whisper in her ear, which aptly sent shivers up her spine, "So why didn't you want to talk to me, hn? Why'd you try to get away from me so fast? Slamming doors in my face and shit…You've always got me chasing after you, girl."

She deliberated a moment before answering, using her fingers to brush a few strands of red hair behind his ear, "Because you, Reno, are typically followed by trouble," she whispered back. "And I was really mad at you. I'm still mad at you. About Marlene and Junon, and …Vayda. The whole mess."

He sighed, holding her tight as she rested her head on his shoulder, "Fair enough. I AM sorry. About everything. Shit got outta hand real quick. Maybe being back here with Harrison will be good for me. For us? Maybe this is where I'm s'posed ta be, yanno?"

"Mm," she replied. "Maybe."

As Tifa lazily breathed in his masculine scent, she took note of the position that they were now in: She sat in his lap, straddling him with her legs while he sat cross-legged beneath her, rubbing his hands up and down her back with obvious intent. _Damn him!_ How did he always get her right where he wanted her? Still, she ached for this connection, no matter how much she denied it, no matter how hard she tried to push it down whenever her jumbled feelings for him bubbled up to the surface.

Tifa couldn't quite help herself as she wiggled her pelvis against him, ever so slightly. Immediately his hands stopped their motions as she heard him exhale sharply. She placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing herself back to get a look at him. The moment they locked eyes, however, his lips were upon hers, his hands grabbing the hair at the nape of her neck, tilting her head back to assault the pale flesh beneath her jaw with his hungry mouth. Tifa gasped as his teeth scraped her pulse point, followed by licking and sucking, kissing, more biting… She felt her mind spiral into a familiar warm haze.

It had been _way_ too long.

But still, she was angry. Happy to see him? Sure. She was happy he still cared about her, but even so, she had so much to sort through with him, with herself, with Barret and Marlene... before she could dive back into Reno's affections.

Reluctantly she placed her hands upon his chest, firmly pushing him back.

"Hn?" he looked up at her, genuinely confused. "What's wrong?" he looked around, surveying the area for any possible threats.

"Not tonight, Reno."

He cocked his brow in response, "_'Not tonight, Reno,'_ what?"

Tifa cast her eyes downward and shook her head 'no'.

"Are you _serious?_" his jaw dropped in disbelief.

Tifa extracted her arms from his shoulders in an attempt to stand up, "Not tonight. I have to get back to close up the bar and check on Marlene."

He grabbed hold of her wrists defiantly, pulling her back down to him, "Nuh-uh. You _started_ this, doll-baby."

Tifa huffed in annoyance. She really didn't know what to do. Sure, she wanted him, pretty damn bad to be perfectly honest. But she couldn't do this with him again so soon. Not again. She knew how this worked: They'd fuck, it would shatter her world, and then he'd hightail it. That must be why she was so addicted to him: She could never completely have him. Heaven knows that's why she waited for Cloud for so long.

"Well then can we finish it later, Reno? I shouldn't have been out here for this long. I have to get back," she tried reasoning with him.

He searched her eyes for her intentions, wary of why she stopped all of a sudden. She seemed _so into it_ just a moment ago…

"…Okay, babe," he said softly as he released her wrists again, but not before pulling her back to him for a searing kiss, "but I'm not gonna wait too long, ya hear? I'm gonna come and get you if you leave me hanging, so don't even try it, yo."

"We'll see," she wiped sand from her skirt as they both stood up.

"Yea, we'll see," he echoed softly before casually draping his arm around her shoulders. They made their way back to town in silence, watching their shadows stretch along the sand in the moonlight as village torches came into view just beyond the brush.

* * *

_**I know, I know. I'm evil. **_

_**TBC!**_


	24. Chapter 24

**Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!**

**Love,**

**V**

**Disclaimer: This chapter contains graphic sex. If this offends you, please don't read it, comprende?**

**FFVII doesn't belong to me! No money is being made from this work of fiction.**

* * *

"Make sure to pack your sun block, Marlene! And your gloves for practice!" Tifa hollered from her bedroom as she hurried around on Sunday morning. Dinah had contacted her via PHS first thing that morning to see if she and Marlene wouldn't mind taking Janice for a bicycle ride to the beach (The girl hadn't stopped pestering her mother about it since their first ride last week).

Tifa tidied up her room, packing a beach blanket and tanning lotion into a large shoulder bag. She grabbed an unmastered ice materia from a wooden chest in the back of her closet. She planned on teaching the basics of elementals to Marlene and Janice while she had some free time that day. While making her way over her window to open the curtains to let some fesh air and sunlight in, she was startled when greeted with an unexpected image: Bongo sat on the windowsill, quiet as a church mouse, with a large tropical bloom in his beak. It was a brilliant purple orchid that Tifa saw growing in Dinah's garden.

It also happened to be her favorite flower in the garden.

So Dinah was in cahoots with the ex-Turk now in his attempts to woo her? That - or Reno just stole it from her. But how else would he know that Tifa favored that bloom among the others? Dinah must have told him… he must have got that information out of her.

_Sneaky, sneaky fucker…_

She lifted her hand to Bongo's beak to which he opened slightly, dropping the bloom into her open palm.

She smiled thoughtfully as she twisted it in her fingers. "Thank you Bongo," she whispered before kissing him gently on the top of his head. He whistled in approval. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. You're a good bird. Just behave from now on, okay?"

"Good bird," he whistled back before hopping down from his perch, waddling through her bedroom and down the hall. Tifa smiled after him before going over to her mirror to place the bloom in her hair.

"Bongo!" she heard Marlene squeal in delight from across the hall. "Wanna go to the beach with us?"

"Bongo!" he squawked in approval.

* * *

_Later…_

Tifa and Marlene greeted Janice outside of the basement entrance to the building. A guard from the MMC had escorted her through the tunnel, carrying her bicycle for her.

The trio of girls rode their bikes through town, smiling and laughing the whole way to the beach. Bongo sat comfortably in Marlene's basket, enjoying the ride and taking in the sights as they made their way to the boardwalk.

"Where ya get that flower in ya hair?" Janice questioned as she rode alongside Tifa. "Looks like one my momma got growin' in the garden."

Tifa smiled innocently at her young companion, "Bongo gave it to me."

Janice narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "Yeah I'll bet he did," before pedaling ahead.

Tifa continued at her steady pace until they reached the boardwalk.

After laying down her towel and supplies, she got to work teaching both girls how to handle lightning materia. Surprisingly, Marlene did a much better job focusing her energy and controlling where the lightning struck. Tifa instructed her to use Jesse's glove as her guide, and to focus her intention on the volcanic rock outcropping that jutted out into the ocean. Marlene aptly blasted a chunk of rock with a small lightning bolt, which caused her to jump up and down with excitement.

"I really did it!" she jumped for joy, before turning to Tifa. "I can't wait to show Daddy!"

Janice had a harder time with the materia, as she was unable to produce any results, even after six or seven tries. This disheartened her since she was used to being good at pretty much everything else.

"Don't worry," Tifa reassured her, picking up the glove that Janice threw it into the sand in frustration. "It takes some people more time to get it. It took me a few years. You and I are just more suited for battle with our fists, and other people are more inclined to be better with magic." Janice's mood lightened somewhat at Tifa's admission, as the older girl put her arm around her shoulders in encouragement. "You'll get it, sweetie. Just give it time."

After their training session, the three girls and their parrot shared a lunch of fruit, cheese, and crackers on the beach as they watched flowing kites dotting the shoreline in the distance.

"Can we go see the kites?" Marlene asked as she pet Bongo on the head.

"Sure," Tifa smiled, reclining, soaking in the sun as the two younger girls stood up. "I'll be here for a bit, but if I'm not, I'm just stretching my legs nearby, okay? Don't go too far. We're leaving in an hour."

"Okay!" the girls said in unison before running off, with their colorful parrot waddling after them.

Within a few minutes, Tifa heard chatter coming from the boardwalk, as the local ice-cream man had apparently pulled up not far behind her (with brand-new tires and a working cooler today). A group of vacationers had swarmed Miguel as he showed up to sell his frozen treats. She decided now was a good a time as any to stretch her legs and see how business was going, among other things. She wondered how he was faring after his unfortunate run-in with Reno last night, which left him in nothing short of a drunken stupor. He purposely avoided eye-contact with Tifa as she waited in line behind a family. When it was her turn to place an order, Miguel dropped his head in shame.

"I'll take a rocket pop, please," she smiled in sympathy. She really didn't want him to be uncomfortable around her. She liked him enough to remain friends for the time being.

Miguel opened the cooler and extracted her frozen treat, extending it to her with his gaze averted before saying, "My compliments. Please don't try to pay me this time, Tifa. I don't deserve it, and it's the best I can do to say I'm sorry. I was a real jackass last night."

Tifa graciously took the frozen treat from his hand before saying, "Thank you, Miguel. Apology accepted."

He looked up now, and she noticed immediately that his eyes were terribly bloodshot. He looked like he had a nasty hangover, and his visor and umbrella weren't providing any relief.

"I am never drinking that much again," he emphasized by waving his hands in front of him. "I'm really sorry for what I said to you. I was way out of line."

"It's okay," she smiled and she meant it. Poor Miguel…

"Those guys, though, the ones who came in at the end of the night, do you know them? I mean, it seemed like they knew you…" his eyes darted around as he shifted uncomfortably where he stood. "I'm sorry, I really don't mean to pry, it's just…" he trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

Tifa did her best to remain secretive under his scrutiny, "I know who they are. They come to the bar once in a while."

"Yeah? Well, I don't like them," Miguel said outright. "And I don't think they have your best interests at heart. They're from the underground, right? You gotta be careful around them, Tifa. Shiva only knows what they might want with you…"

"I'm a big tough girl," she laughed, sucking on her Popsicle. "I can take care of myself. But thanks for the concern. I'll see you around, Miguel," she smiled warmly before wandering further down the beach.

Looking back towards her beach blanket, she saw Marlene and Janice in the distance playing with a small group of kids as they flew their kites. She figured they still had another hour before she had to get back to the bar to open up for the evening, so she had a little bit of time to breathe.

While making her way down to the outcropping of volcanic rock where she and the girls practiced with the lighting materia, she noticed some tide pools that were teeming with life. She loved little ecosystems like this; She hovered over them, inspecting the ocean creatures that lurked within each one. She studied her own reflection in the water, sucking on the last of her popsicle as she crouched over a particularly interesting tide pool. She skimmed the top of the water with her popsicle stick, but it wasn't quite long enough to effectively dig around and play with. So she dug it into the sand beside her, her fingers sticky from the treat, before reaching behind her with her not-so-sticky hand to grab a long piece of driftwood. She planned to use it to poke and prod the little urchins and starfish beneath the water, but was confused when the driftwood pulled back. After a brief (and not to mention ludicrous) moment of tug of war, she looked up to see a hand on the opposite end of the driftwood, and that hand was attached to one red-headed Turk.

"Whaddaya need this for?" Reno cocked an eyebrow as he studied her from his crouched position, still holding onto the driftwood.

There was little doubt in her mind that the man was a feline in a past life…

"Stalker…" she mumbled as she released the driftwood and stood up. Reno stood along with her, stepping closer to her with his hands outstretched.

"Yeah, well, I told you I'd come and get you," he laughed playfully at the lingering look of shock on her face, which prompted her to punch him in the shoulder lightly.

"How's it going with mister twisty or whatever the fuck?" he half-smirked, grabbing her by the hips to bring her in for an intimate embrace, inhaling the fruity scent of her hair. He held her steady, pushing his pelvis against hers in a possessive fashion.

"Fine," she avoided talking too much about the poor, unsuspecting soul who had the sour luck of falling victim to Reno's ill-intent. "There's nothing new for him to get drunk and depressed about," she narrowed her eyes at him, "…so far."

"Hm," he grinned, "I might have to change that. Can't let him get too comfortable."

"Honestly Reno," she rolled her eyes. "He's harmless. He doesn't even know who you are, so please stop harassing him. He's just a guy who's trying to make a living like the rest of us..."

"Do you like him?"

"What?"

"Do. You. Like. Him."

"I like him just fine. He's a nice person. Could you just drop it, please?"

"Did you ever fuck him?" he deadpanned.

"WHAT?!" she practically screeched.

"You heard me."

_The NERVE!_

"No!" she put her hands up in defense. _Honestly…_ "Of course not. I mean, it's not your business anyway and-"

"Would you let him fuck you? If the opportunity arose?" he interrupted, gripping her hips a little tighter now, his thumbs digging into her pelvic bones uncomfortably.

"Reno," she warned. This was not the kind of stuff she liked to talk about. Not to him, not to _any guy_ for that matter. Just who did he think he was?

"Tifa," he mimicked her tone, awaiting her answer.

She looked away from him, watching the waves roll in as the sun dipped a little lower in the sky. This was such an uncomfortable subject for her and Reno was enjoying every second of it.

She sighed in defeat, "No, I wouldn't."

He cocked his head to the side now, his red mane tousled in the ocean breeze as he studied her face, "And why's that?"

She let out a puff of air in frustration, "You _know_ why!"

His thumbs relaxed, massaging her pelvic muscles now as he spoke, "No, I don't. Enlighten me."

She huffed again, thoroughly annoyed with his prodding, "I hardly know him!"

He digested that answer for a moment before speaking again, "You hardly know me, and we've fucked plenty."

Her jaw dropped. Well, he had a point... Why did he insist on being so crass about it?

"Why is that, hn?" He pressed further, pulling her hips against his a little harder now.

Oh, he was an asshole.

In a moment of spontaneity she decided to turn the tables on him, "Why do you think?"

He smirked at her attempt to make him uncomfortable. This was clearly fun for him; their sexually-charged banter: "I think it's because you can't resist a good time, and, well, I'm pretty much the definition of that."

She rolled her eyes in rebuttal, which caused him to throw back his head and laugh.

"What are you doing out here, anyway? Shouldn't you be up Harrison's ass or something?" she attempted to change the subject while digging him firmly in the process.

He let her sassy remark slide before answering, "Patrolling. Smoking too many shitty Mideel cigarettes. Watching babes on the beach. Abducting and interrogating said babes from said beach."

"Sounds like dangerous work," she dropped her voice to a hush, feeling a bit more playful now.

"It is! You never know when one of them might be a godless killing machine who could snap your neck or suffocate you with her luscious thighs! Broads can be deadly, yanno. You can't let 'em fool you for a second – or **_bam_**\- you're dead," he poked her in the chest with his finger mimicking a gun for emphasis.

Tifa hid her face in his chest to keep from laughing too loud, and to avoid drawing attention to their hiding spot. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her tight as they snickered together.

"Shut up," she laughed.

She missed this.

She missed him.

"Yanno, now that I got you alone again I'm gonna have to do stuff to you," he said outright.

"Oh are you?" she challenged.

"Mmhm," he hummed. "Since you left me hanging high and dry last night…"

"I see," she shot back.

He grabbed her by the hand, pulling it up to his face, inspecting her sticky fingers as he spoke, "How was that freezy pop?"

"Just dandy," she said in a 'days gone by' tone -in an attempt to get him to laugh with her some more. Instead, he smirked darkly, his pupils dilated, before taking both her index and middle fingers into his mouth, lapping the sticky sweetness from her digits. This course of action caused a burning fire to rage within the pit of her tummy.

He released her fingers from his mouth, moving over to her lips before speaking lowly, "I wonder if Mister Twisty liked watching you eat it as much as I did."

Her knees went weak, nearly buckling as he kissed her hard. He grabbed her ass with both of his hands, pushing her against him as she snaked her arms around his neck, burying her hands in his wild mane while he ravished her to pieces. He broke the kiss before backing her up against a shady alcove in the large volcanic rocks, hovering above her as if to devour her whole. In a more gentle fashion, he reached a hand up to her face to play with a few of the braids that Janice had woven into her hair, ghosting is fingers over the flower he gifted to her via his parrot messenger that very morning, admiring her undeniable beauty as he studied her features, her hair, her body...

She wore a loose, off-the shoulder white t-shirt that was cropped at the middle of her stomach, with an image of palm trees and a tropical sunset airbrushed onto it, a cute pair of denim jean shorts, and white flip flops. She donned a yellow bikini underneath her beach clothing, with the halter top straps jutting out from her shirt at the neck. Her ears were adorned with gold hoop earrings, and her braided strands of hair had been decorated with turquoise and silver beads courtesy of her new hairstylist, Miss Janice.

"I like your look these days, Teef," he twisted a beaded braid in his fingers, before rubbing his thumb along her clavicle. "I mean, I like how you look all the time, but you look fantastic. Mideel suits you well."

She blushed at his observation. She definitely felt better than she had in ages. The tropical sun gave her skin a warm glow and brought out the natural highlights in her chestnut hair. The salt air even gave her hair a bit more volume, as well as helping her to breathe better at night. She really did love it here; Being in close proximity to the Lifestream also had to count for something. The whole island hummed with abundance and _life._

"What did I tell you about flattery?" she teased, knowing full well that her skin must be completely flushed by now, giving her away entirely.

"I dunno, I think it's getting me somewhere," he asserted, brushing his knuckles along her exposed shoulder before kissing it. It was a wet, biting kiss, and she nearly melted into a puddle of mush beneath him. If a shoulder-bite and what he did with her fingers a minute ago could make her _that_ weak, she practically feared what would come next.

He came back up to whisper in her ear, "You owe me a lot more than this, babe. A shit ton. But right now a quckie is gonna have to do." He aptly hoisted her up onto the rocks, careful to place her in a smoother, less craggy area of the outcropping.

"Owe you?! What if someone sees us?!" she reasoned between frantic kisses.

His hands got to work removing her t-shirt and jean shorts, placing them behind her head as he laid her down beneath him. He didn't bother removing his own clothing as he un-did his belt buckle and unzipped the fly of his camouflage pants, exposing his fully-erect cock to her.

"Like who? Your boyfriend selling choco-pops to little kids and their hot moms over there?" he laughed outright, pushing the fabric of her bikini bottoms aside in preparation for entry. "Let him. I hope his stupid ass sees what I get to have and he doesn't," he grit his teeth, rubbing her clit with two fingers before pushing himself in to the hilt.

Tifa let out of cry of pleasure as he filled her once again. It had been way, _way_ too long. And what did he just say? His statement of possession brought her mind immediately to his roaming hands as he touched her openly in the underground speakeasy back in Edge - Back before Barret came rolling into town and brought this mess crashing down upon them. Back when things were a little easier. Before Vayda and Junon and the Mideel Militia Corp. A lifetime ago already, it seemed.

What was Reno's deal, anyway? Was he an exhibitionist or something? He seemed to revel in the thrill of nearly getting caught out here in the open. The children played only meters away on the other side of the outcropping, flying kites and splashing playfully in the surf. Miguel was busy with his ice-cream cart nearby and no doubt wondered where his busty brunette crush had run off to all of a sudden.

_Little did he know…_

After untying her bikini straps from her neck and exposing her ample breasts to the ocean air, Reno's hungry mouth connected with a perky nipple, flicking it with his tongue as he thrust into her deeply, _almost_ too deep for her to handle. She pulled away with a slight whimper.

"Nuh-uh," he warned, pulling her pelvis against his own as he pushed in again as deep as he could go. Tifa's back arched in response as pain and pleasure collided deep within her core. Reno's hand was quick to cover her mouth, muffling her cries as he pulled out and slammed back in with fervor. He endeavored to make her come quickly -and so far he was succeeding. This was no time for romance; this was primal and raw. This was his payback for her leaving him hanging last night, and for all the frustration he suffered during their time apart.

She'd never admit it aloud, but she liked it.

What had she gotten herself into? She told herself she'd be more careful, that she'd refrain from any more intimate moments with him until she had answers, until she knew just what the heck _this was_ between them…

All of that just flew out the window, so to speak.

She couldn't quite help herself. It felt _so good_… He always felt so good...

Voices could be heard a bit closer now, which caused Tifa to panic. Reno continued to move within her, but looked up in assessment of the surrounding area. He looked into her eyes with his hand still clamped over her mouth as he fucked her harder. His turquoise eyes told her to keep quiet, which was damn-near impossible at this point. So he moved a little slower, taking his time to build her back up again. Tifa breathed deeply through her nostrils; studying her lover as his eyes darted from scanning the area, back to her, back to scanning again. He was quite the multi-tasker…

She made the mistake of looking down to where their bodies connected, which sent her hormones flying into overdrive. His toned lower abdomen flexed from underneath his olive green t-shirt, glistening with sweat, while his cock slammed into her pussy almost violently. Reno took note that her eyes started to roll back in her head before squeezing them shut in preparation for the inevitable…

"You gonna come for me, gorgeous?" he removed his hand while whispering harshly into her ear, grabbing a breast and squeezing it roughly, pinching her nipple as he licked the sweat from her neck. Her whole body began to shake. What had he done to her? She never came so hard so fast before. _Never ever._

"Re-!" she began to shout, but he covered her mouth again, preventing his own name from flying out .

She could have punched him, but her entire body convulsed as her pussy clenched around his cock, driving him absolutely crazy as they came together. He buried his face in her neck as he stifled his own cry, clenching his jaw and baring his teeth, holding her down at the waist as he emptied himself within her. She moaned against his hand, fully sated as she came down from the high that her orgasm produced, shuddering from the pleasure, allowing it to wash over her like the tide that was due to roll in any time now. Reno moved to kiss her, and she wrapped her weakened arms around his neck, tugging him down to kiss him back. Their tongues danced around each other as they lay together trying to slow their racing hearts. Slowly, he pulled out of her, which sent another shiver crashing through her body.

Reno sat up, leaning back on his heels as he took a deep breath, running his hand over his forehead and through his hair. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm as he took another steadying breath, watching Tifa as she gathered herself. He had shattered her into a million pieces, and it took her a few moments to pull herself back together again.

"If I catch him trying to touch you again," he said as he adjusted himself, zipping up his fly before helping her sit up, too, "I'm going to break his hands." He pulled his goggles back up onto his forehead, as they had fallen down to his neck during their frantic tryst.

"You'd better not," she warned as she tied her bikini top and reached for her t-shirt and shorts. She assumed he was referring to when Miguel attempted to reach over the bar and grab her the night before.

Reno responded by cracking his knuckles and running another hand through his mane of fiery red hair.

"Reno," she tried again. "Don't. Just leave him alone. He's harmless."

He ignored her and lit up a cigarette. After she was fully-clothed again, she moved to sit beside him.

"So," she began, timidly hugging her knees to her chest, "when do I get to hear the big story about how you ended up here, too?"

He took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled, leaning back on his hands, "I dunno. Maybe after a few more rolls in the hay. I gotta work that out of my system before I can talk about it," he laughed bitterly.

"Mm," she rested her chin on his shoulder, playing with a few strands of red hair around his ear, "My place, then? Tonight… after closing time?"

He grinned down at her, "I can't say 'no' to that, now can I?"

"I doubt it," she smiled a moment before he took her by the chin and kissed her sweetly. He tasted like tobacco and cinnamon chewing gum, and he smelled like summer rain.

"Good," he took another drag and exhaled, "It's a date."

She playfully shoved him off their rock before stalking away. "Hardly!" she yelled over her shoulder as she disappeared behind the rocks, making her way back to her reserved spot on the beach.

Reno mumbled that he '_hated to see her leave but loved to watch her go' _before returning to his afternoon assignment.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**Hi-Hi!**_

_**I sincerely apologize for the 3-month hiatus! You guys sure are swell for putting up with me =)**_

_**Here's another chapter for you. It's short but sweet. There's more good stuff on the way. I just have to edit, edit, edit. **_

_**Hold tight. I'm not going anywhere, I promise.**_

_**You know the disclaimer by now. And if you don't... sue me, I guess?**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**~V**_

* * *

At 4:30am, after an hour of biting her thumbnail down to the raw pink skin beneath, Tifa convinced herself to rest her head against her pillow.

Reno never showed.

And he didn't even call. Not like she had a PHS or anything at the moment, but still... he didn't even send their mutual parrot-friend to harass her or anything! So she was left feeling unsettled to say the very least. And not to mention lonely, too, just a little bit.

No matter. She closed the bar on Mondays, so she had a whole day to rest and recuperate after her busy weekend. She recanted in her head that she really needed a bar-back, slow season or not, and that she wanted to get the kitchen up and running sooner rather than later.

So much to do...

Maybe Reno had just got caught up doing whatever it was that Harrison had him doing…

The next time Tifa looked at the clock it read 5:39am.

Screw it.

So she got up and made coffee in her underwear. Typical.

Mideel's tropical climate cultivated some deliciously aromatic coffee beans, so Tifa found herself slowly-but-surely becoming a stereotypical coffee addict. She found herself spewing such cringe-worthy catchphrases as: "Don't talk to me until I've had my morning coffee," and "Oh good, it's coffee o'clock!"

Hyuck hyuck, deep sigh.

While she waited for her newfound favorite beverage to brew, she became distracted by hushed voices coming from Marlene's room. Ever so quietly, she made her way down the hallway to scope out the situation, halting to hover just outside of Marlene's room. She cupped her ear against the door and listened to the voices coming from the other side:

Marlene's loud whisper didn't do a good job of containing her excitement at all, "...and Tifa showed me and Janice how to use materia. I blasted a big rock to bits on the beach with a lightning materia!"

"F'real? Shoot, babygirl! You gotta show me watchu can do..." Barrett's raspy whisper encouraged his daughter with genuine delight.

Tifa figured that Barrett must have snuck into the apartment sometime during her hour of fitful early-morning sleep. She decided it would be best to let them catch up, so she returned to the kitchen to pour a steaming mug of coffee, complete with a splash of iced coconut milk before sipping to her heart's content.

_Later..._

Barret hunched over his own mug of coffee at the kitchen table while Tifa cleaned dishes in the sink, "It ain't good, Teef. They been lookin' at old Mako reactor sites. Lookin' to do sumpin' wit 'em. Best I can tell they lookin' at oil bubblin' up from the deep behind alla 'dat mako done sucked dry years ago. They gonna ship it down that pipeline they buildin' on the ocean floor. Only a matta a time fo' they come lookin' under Mideel."

Tifa racked the last of the dishes as she spoke, "Why would they come here? What are they planning to do with all that oil?" She pulled the plug at the bottom of the sink, watching the water swirl while it drained; Water drained counter-clockwise here in the southern hemisphere, and she always seemed to notice the confusing reverse-effect.

"Nothin' good," he scoffed before pressing the mug to his lips. "And now they bein' EXTRA hush-hush 'bout it afta that big 'ol mess in Junon. They was plannin' on breakin' ground off shore in a big 'ol ceremony. Ribbon cuttin' an errythang, shoot. Dey sittin' on a GOLD mine at Junon. That undawater reactor bein' extra close to deep ocean oil 'n' all..."

"But Barret," she tried again, crossing her arms while leaning against the counter, "why would Shinra come here? The Lifestream flows freely here. They don't harness Mako energy the way that they used to. Where would they find oil here? Offshore like they did in Junon?"

"Nah, Teef," he stared into space, as if he was contemplating some inevitable fate. "We on toppa it. Shinra was gon' build a Reactor here _way_ back," Barret jut his thumb out behind him to emphasize proximity, "in Banora, dat itty-bitty village next door wit all da orchards growin' wild. It ain't producin' mako, but it might produce some liquid gold, knowmsayin'? I know how it goes, Teef. I been diggin' up oil a long time. All the signs is here. This place is pristine 'n' shit. Where the Lifestream goes, that oil flows."

Tifa nodded in understanding. She took the girls for a bike ride through the Banora Orchards a few weeks prior, but she couldn't help but notice the eerie feeling she got while they were there. Something told her that some sort of great sadness or destruction took place there. A perilous drop-off into a crater could be spotted in the distance, surrounded by tall barbed-wire fences with blaring signs warning trespassers to STAY OUT. She just couldn't shake the feeling of extreme unease that took root within her as she and the girls pedaled along the overgrown path outside of the quiet farming village only a few miles down the road from their new home. She should have figured that Shinra had something to do with it.

"So what's next?" she shrugged, returning to the counter to wipe it down with a dish towel.

"Dunno," Barret audibly sipped his coffee with a loud slurping noise.

Tifa sighed before taking a seat at the table across from him.

"This some damn fine coffee," he noted, trying to lighten the mood.

Tifa got the feeling that her old friend was avoiding something. That something was undoubtedly the pesky white elephant with red hair and an affinity for explosives. The same white elephant that had currently taken up residence on the island which they currently inhabited, and who was roaming through the tunnels beneath their feet.

So instead of waiting any longer, she took initiative and just went for it. No use tiptoeing around the issue any further:

"Do you know who turned up here last week?" she asked as she idly rearranged her salt and pepper shakers and bottle of soy sauce on the table.

"Mmhmm," Barret continued sipping his coffee as though he couldn't be bothered.

So she pressed further, crossing her arms defensively, "Did you know that he and _your new boss_ were close buddies?"

Still no answer. More sipping.

"Barret?" she tried again, stern this time, the way she spoke to Marlene when the girl actively withheld information from her.

Barret gingerly placed his mug on the table, turning it just so, before lacing his fingers together and avoiding eye contact with the fighter in front of him, "I knew Harrison got friends in Shinra -that he used ta BE wit Shinra," he cracked his neck in agitation, speaking a little lower, "that he basically had a son who was wit Shinra-"

"Reno is his SON?!" Tifa cut him off, nearly jumping out of her chair in the process.

Barret remained calm through her outburst, "Did I say that?" -enunciating each word carefully, deadly serious.

Tifa settled down, embarrassed for jumping to such a quick conclusion. Still, she was practically dying to know now, "...Well what then? What is... What _are_ they? To each other, that is?"

"You gotta ask them," he lifted his coffee again. "It ain't none a my _biz-naz_."

She wasn't convinced, "But it doesn't bother you?" she prodded, "-That he and Reno are so close?"

Barret side-eyed his friend, making her painfully aware of what she was asking and how it paralleled her own relationship with the 'former' Turk. She felt sheepish, but she just couldn't help herself. She had so many questions and practically zero answers -and Reno did what Reno always did: he gave her a wild ride and practically disappeared. For the time being, anyhow.

"Why?" Barret fired back. "It botherin' YOU?"

She looked away, huffing to herself, "Okay. So whatever the case may be, you kept Cloud from killing him -back in Junon, and never paid him any further attention because he means something to Harrison," she was beginning to put the pieces together. "And Harrison is ex-Shinra, too, and you _trust_ him?" she looked back at him now, still not completely convinced.

"I got my reasons, Teef."

She didn't like this. She really hated being in the dark. She hated Barret's secrecy on the matter. ...But she always trusted him. He didn't always make the best decisions, but whatever Barret did, he tried to do it for the greater good. That's what mattered most.

"Did you know that he would end up here?" she sunk back into her seat, "With Harrison?"

Barret stared into his mug, "Didn't know shit 'bout it. Not till I got back las' night. I knew they was close, but in a 'lost cause' typa way, knowmsayin'?. Harrison not one ta hold his breaf waitin' on some _wayward soul_," he grunted in obvious disapproval, eyeing her up and down to take heed of his words, as they were subtly meant for her, too; As subtle as Barret was capable of, anyway.

She sighed, defeated, "Yeah. Their reunion wasn't exactly pleasant."

And neither was her own reunion with the former-Turk in question.

"So I heard," he snorted behind his mug.

Tifa figured Barret heard about the whole ordeal from Marlene or Harrison or both of them.

"Do you think Shinra will come after him?" she lowered her voice to a hush now.

"Don't matter," he finished his coffee, standing to place his empty mug in the sink. "They comin' eitha way," he said matter-of-factly as he walked out of the kitchen, leaving Tifa alone at the table with her thoughts and a cold cup of coffee that did little to comfort her.

* * *

The following week went by without another word from Reno. Barret spent the duration of the week underground, popping into the bar from time to time to check on Marlene. No more was said on the Harrison-Reno-Shinra issue, and Tifa continued business-as-usual with materia training and sparring sessions thrown into the mix whenever she had free time to spend training with the girls.

The rainy season had begun in Mideel, and downpours had become more frequent and long-lasting, which forced the girls to stay indoors most days.

Tifa looked up from the local periodical, '_The Mideel Minute'_, that she was flipping through at the bar to talk to Marlene.

"What do you think about starting school here, sweetie?"

Marlene climbed up onto the bar still next to the older girl, "Sure! I want to go to school with Janice."

Tifa figured as much. The girls had become inseparable pals and were bonding on a sisterly level. Tifa envied Marlene. She never had any close female friends while growing up in _'Bucolic Nibelheim'_. Instead she had Cloud. She figured maybe that's why a romantic relationship between them was doomed from the get-go; They knew _too much_ about one-another, so inevitably they formed a sort-of familial, sibling-type bond.

"Okay," she smiled to the young lady sitting next to her, "I'll talk to Misses Harrison about getting you enrolled."

Marlene hopped down from the barstool and jumped for joy, "Yay! School with Janice!"

Tifa made no comment as she watched Marlene jump around with glee. Instead, she allowed the girl to be excited, even though she had reservations about the curriculum that the MMC offered for children under the age of 10. She had a lot of research to do before handing Marlene over to a Military organization. No doubt Barret would be all for it, but still...

Marlene's celebration was momentarily interrupted when an unexpected customer came stomping through the door.

Confused, Tifa looked up at the early-afternoon patron, only to realize that this wasn't a customer at all -

"Priscilla!" Marlene shouted as she ran over to the water-logged teenager with open arms.

After letting out a playful "Oof!", Priscilla looked up at a clearly-stunned, dumbfounded Tifa, smiling-wide before saying, "Jeepers, I'm glad I finally found you! This rain is killer, _waaay_ worse than Junon..."

Tifa remained speechless while staring at the spectacle before her.

The girl shook the water from her poncho, pulled back her hood, and smiled wide, "I 'm here looking for a job, Miss Lockhart! Priscilla Odenkirk at your service!"

_Ask and ye shall receive..._

Tifa smiled warmly, hopping down from her stool to properly greet her surprise visitor, "When can you start?"

* * *

_To be continued…_


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello Lovelies! **

**I'm back with a smutty chapter for you... (If that offends you leave now, or forever hold your peace).**

**I think the next chapter or the chapter after that will be from Reno's POV, so get ready for that. It's time to go digging around in the past... Yay!**

**(Also, some good background music for this bitch is "Warmth" by Janet Jackson. Look it up on YouTube and you'll see why...)**

**FFVII doesn't belong to me, yadda, yadda, yadda...**

**Enjoy!**

**~V**

* * *

"I heard from one of our regulars, an old cargo pilot named Francis, that a new bar had just opened up in Mideel. He told me it was called 'Final Heaven', so I figured it must be the _infamous Tifa Lockheart_," Priscilla chatted excitedly between rushed sips of fountain cola. "So I slipped him a wad of Gil and had him fly me here himself, ahhhaha!"

The three girls sat at a round table now, catching up as the tropical rain subsided. The hot Mideel sun started to shine again, illuminating the mist that rose from the freshly-mulched pathway in front of Tifa's new establishment.

"So what made you leave your job and come across the world to find me?" Tifa laughed, still dumbfounded at the presence of the sun-kissed, chit-chatty girl who now sat before her.

"A change of pace, maybe? I dunno. Junon is just so… crazy. After everything that happened, it's been so chaotic. And I've wanted to leave for a while now. I just never had the courage. But then I heard about your new place and I figured what the heck, right?" She chewed on her straw a bit as she turned her attention to Marlene, "What's up with you, kiddo?"

"Lots," Marlene smiled in return. Tifa noted that Marlene had picked up a few of her own mannerisms, like giving one-word answers to questions that begged for a bigger story.

Over the course of the next hour, Tifa filled Priscilla in on all that had happened since they saw each other last, leaving out the more intricate details of the MMC and the tunnels below their feet (and not to mention the fact that Reno of The Turks was most likely somewhere in the vicinity). She told Prisciila that she and Marlene were building a new life here, and hopefully how this would be their last big move for a long time, Shinra-invasion pending. She figured she'd save the heavier conversation topics for another day. All she was worried about right now was getting the younger girl situated in her new environment as quickly as possible. Tifa just couldn't help herself: She always played the role of 'mother' when a wanderer or a weary traveler came knocking at her door.

Priscilla, in-turn, relayed that Junon had come under complete military control once more. It had become the base of operations for the new pipeline that was currently under construction for undisclosed purposes, but anyone with a working brain cell could see what was happening: Shinra was vying for complete control and distribution of the world's energy supply yet again. Rufus wouldn't give up power that easily. He was too ruthless, too power-hungry, and a hair too ambitious in his own right to stay out of the limelight for longer than he felt necessary. Rufus wasn't unlike his father in that way, but Shiva-forbid you ever tell him that to his face -if you wanted to keep your head attached to your shoulders, that is. Rufus Shinra was a bona-fide sociopath, one who couldn't stand the bitter taste of defeat for long. It was only a matter of time before he came forward again. It never mattered if the world loved him or loathed him; As long as he was in control, he was content. His massive ego was the catalyst spurred him out from behind his veil…

"So that Byron guy? He was with Shinra?" Priscilla lowered her voice now, not looking to stir up any trouble from hidden ears behind walls that could talk.

_'__Smart girl,'_ Tifa mused. No doubt anyone on duty beneath the floor boards had been listening….

"Yeah," Tifa fiddled with her nails, embarrassed that she was so easily deceived and captured by a slimeball like '_Katana of the Turks'_. So stupid… "He got me good. But in the end I got away. Yuffie and Cloud helped me escape." _…Oh, and Reno, too…_

Priscilla sighed a girly sigh and looked dreamily out the window, "That Cloud. He really is something, huh?"

Tifa stifled a laugh, choosing instead to smile politely.

"Is he around?" Priscilla unabashedly addressed the inevitable. She had a crush on Cloud since the moment they met, and solidified her affection towards him after he saved her life nearly five years ago.

"He's in Corel," Marlene said nonchalantly as she colored-in a chocobo drawing on a placemat. "He doesn't live with us anymore."

Priscilla turned her attention to Tifa, her eyes a little bit wider now, "Really? I thought you and him, you know…" Priscilla blushed now, confused, and a little embarrassed for prodding into affairs she didn't entirely understand.

"Cloud and I are close friends, that's all. And he's working as an independent contractor on the western continent these days, so we don't see him all that much," Tifa explained gently, trying her very best to keep the conversation light.

"Aw what a bummer," Priscilla sighed audibly, yet remained cheerful in her understanding. "Are there any other cute boys around? I didn't come her for just work, ya know? A girl's gotta play, too," she joked.

The wheels in Tifa's head began to turn as she replied with a wink, "There sure are. In fact, I think I know a few guys who would love to take a pretty girl like you out on a date."

Priscilla's eyes widened along with the corners of her mouth, "Great because I need a date or two. Or five. I also need a place to stay… just until I can get enough money together for a security deposit for a place of my own…"

"You can stay with us!" Marlene bounced up and down in her chair. "You can sleep in my room, I don't mind." Marlene was still young enough to be unaware of the dilemma of a teenager like Priscilla, who was currently in the process of blossoming into a woman, sharing a room with a little kid. Regardless, she appreciated the sentiment.

"Thanks, Marlene," Priscilla smiled at Tifa's young companion. Marlene happily returned to her coloring sheet, unaware of the girl's dilemma. So she turned to Tifa with pleading eyes. The older girl understood the internal-struggle that Priscilla was currently engaged in, as if what she really wanted to say was: _'Sweet Shiva, no. That's very kind of her, such a sweet little girl, but no…'_

"You know," Tifa began, "that's very nice of you to offer, Marlene, but I think we have a spot for Priscilla."

Marlene looked up again, "We do?"

Priscilla followed, "You do?"

"Sure," she smiled. "We just have to clean it up. There's a utility shed behind the building that has running water… I think. Let's see if we can fix it up for you, hn? You can sleep on the couch for the time being. How does that sound?"

Tifa and Priscilla looked at each other and agreed. "Sounds good to me!" Priscilla clasped her hands together in excitement.

"And tonight you can apprentice here in the bar. You need to get an idea of how things go around here. I run a tight ship, so I don't expect any slacking off," Tifa waved her finger. "If you have time to lean, you have time to clean, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Priscilla saluted her, "no slacking here!"

"Good. Let's get you upstairs and get you settled in. The rush starts at eight, so let's get a move on!"

* * *

The following morning revealed a glorious sky filled with puffy white clouds below the azure blue stratosphere. The downpour from the night before was a distant memory as Tifa hung clothes out to dry on her new laundry line (courtesy of her dear old friend Barret). She made a mental note to recruit him to help haul junk out of the old backyard shed so she could set-up Priscilla's living area.

"Ay-yo, Sensei!"

Tifa whirled around to see Janice emerging from the side of the building to stride confidently over to where she stood, fiddling with a handful clothespins between her fingers, and one in her mouth.

"Morning, my loud apprentice," Tifa grinned before returning to her task at hand: hanging her undergarments as discreetly as possible behind a large quilt that would decorate Priscilla's living space when the time was right.

"Where Marlene at? We was supposed ta go to the beach if it stopped rainin'," Janice crossed her arms, leaning back in a defensive stance, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Jan!" Marlene's sweet little voice yelled from the upstairs window, prompting her best friend to turn around to get a better look at her.

"Whatchu doin'? Get a move on, girl! I ain't waitin' all day!" Janice hollered up to her. "Only so much sunshine ta be had this season, ya feel me?!"

"Okay I'll be down soon! Wait for me! I have a surprise!"

Soon after, Marlene emerged from the building with Priscilla in-tow. Janice remained a bit guarded at first, wary of this pretty teenage newcomer, but warmed up to Priscilla when she complimented her braids and coppery island-complexion. The prospect of going to find Priscilla's old friend, Mister Dolphin, intrigued Janice to no end, and soon the girls readied themselves to set off for a day at the beach.

"You girls be careful, okay? Come straight back here if there's any trouble," Tifa gently warned them. She wasn't entirely comfortable letting Marlene wander off for long with the distant threat of Shinra looming over their heads. The girls nodded in agreement, followed by steady reassurance from Priscilla:

"I'll keep an eye on everyone, Tifa!"

"Sounds good," Tifa nodded. "Be back by dinner time, okay? We have to open the bar tonight around seven. And Janice—"

Janice looked up from examining her bike pegs, securing them so Priscilla could ride with her, to listen to what Tifa had to say-

"Please fill Priscilla in about what your dad does around here. She just came to town yesterday and she'll be living with us for a little while. I figure since you know more about Mideel than all of us that you'd be the best person to bring her up to speed."

Janice stood up now, cocky and confident as she turned to Priscilla, "Hop on back girl. I run this island, ya heard?" she laughed as Priscilla bounded over to her, standing on the pegs attached to the back of Janice's bike as the three girls made their way down the path, waving to Tifa as they disappeared beyond the trees into the clear morning air.

* * *

_Later…_

Tifa collapsed face-first onto her bed, exhausted after a busy night at the bar and a morning filled with chores, cooking, and two girls in her house giggling and causing a commotion until they left for the beach. She wished them luck on their adventure to find a hyper-intelligent dolphin who had helped she and her friends infiltrate Junon once upon a time.

Tifa relished the peace and quiet. Rarely did she get to experience any dull moments, so she drank this particular one in with fervor, snuggling into her pillow and stretching her legs in preparation for a lazy catnap.

::Thwap::

She cracked an eye open.

_'__What the…?'_

::Thwap::

She sat up. Something flew through her window, a blurry object whizzing by her head and hitting the wall with another :thwap:: before falling to the ground. Tifa jumped out of bed to inspect the projectiles. What was this? Danger? Birds with faulty navigational senses flying into her open window and crashing to their doom?

No, of course not.

She bent over to pick up a bra and two pairs of panties before whirling around and stalking over to her window to witness a spectacle down below:

Reno stood with another pair of panties positioned on his fingers, ready to slingshot into her room.

"Reno!" she grit her teeth in annoyance, leaning over her window ledge to shake a panty-filled fist at him, "Do you know how long it took me to hang all of these out to dry this morning?!" She was amused at his way of getting her attention, so the usual malice was missing from her chastising of the insufferable man below her. Honestly, she was just overjoyed to see him.

"Hey I'm here to help," he hollered back, flinging the pair of panties in her direction, which she caught with lightning reflexes. "Figured I'd save you a trip downstairs again to haul all of this shit up," he smirked wickedly before adding, "Nice catch, by the way!"

"Yeah, yeah," she turned away from the window now to put her unmentionables in their designated drawer before floating over to the front door. She heard Reno's heavy footfalls coming up the stairs, and she opened up just in time to see him standing there with a couple of bras draped around his neck like it was normal or something…

"Laundry service," he smirked. So she grabbed her bras by the straps and dragged him inside by the neck before slamming the door behind them both. She strode into the kitchen and he followed, plopping himself down into a chair before extracting her bras from his neck, examining the lacy edges and their considerable cup sizes while Tifa poured two glasses of water from the kitchen faucet.

"Where ya been?" she said nonchalantly as she placed a glass in front of him. As though she couldn't be bothered. Like he was only gone for an hour instead of an entire week without a word. She remained standing as she gulped her own water. Reno lifted his glass in a 'cheers' before taking a sip and letting out a quick cough to clear his throat.

"Top secret," he quipped as he laced his fingers together on her kitchen table. "Kids gone for the day?"

She leaned against the counter, finishing her water before placing her own glass in the sink, "Yep. I have another one now, have you heard?"

"S'at right?" he leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head in a big stretch. "You've been busy."

"Mmhm. She showed up on my doorstep last night. Priscilla Odenkirk, you know her?" she scrutinized him now, waiting for some form of recognition to cross his features.

"No," he yawned, genuinely exhausted, "should I?"

"She knows you," Tifa narrowed her eyes now, displeased. He knew her. He knew exactly who Tifa was talking about. "She used to tend bar at Port Junon Trading Company."

Reno perked up, "Oh yeah?" He streteched his arms over his head, yawning again, before settling back into a more relaxed position. "Hey do you still have my shirt?"

Tifa figured she wasn't getting anywhere with this. Either he knew Priscilla and wasn't keen on saying anything about her, or he really didn't know her. That, or he just didn't care. Tifa didn't feel like playing any games today. If Reno didn't want to say or admit to something, no amount of nagging would ever make him do it. That wasn't Tifa's style, anyhow. She was _not_ the nagging type.

"I have it somewhere, I think," she said as she pulled meat from the freezer to defrost for dinner.

Truthfully, she knew exactly where his aforementioned t-shirt was, and she didn't plan on returning it to him any time soon. She knew it was silly, but having a piece of his property like that, well, it meant something to her. It reminded her of the night they spent together at his apartment in Edge, of how he said _'I think I love you'_… even though it was probably just post-coital crazy talk. Reno's scent was still attached to that shirt, somehow. Even after multiple washes his essence lingered, and Tifa caught herself sniffing it from time-to-time like some sort of crazed, hormonal teenager. She reasoned that she did it to remind herself that he was real -That even when he disappeared for indeterminate amounts of time - that he _existed_. It was an old habit she held onto from her last relationship…

"Yeah, I remember 'Silla," Reno leaned back with one hand on his glass and one draped behind the chair he was sitting in. Tifa smiled knowingly with her back still turned to him, wrapping the frozen meat in a towel to absorb condensation. Reno was easy to deal with once you figured him out; A big 'ol pussycat that did things his own way, who got around to it when he felt like it (whatever _it_ may be). You just had to give him the chance. "She's a good kid," he took a sip of water and continued, "Shinra messed up her village really bad. Same old story. But she did good, got a good job. She's a great hostess," he eyed Tifa up now, "not as good as you, babe, but you'll have her running in circles in no time in your little bar downstairs, no doubt," he winked as he tipped back the last of his water.

There was little doubt in Tifa's mind that Reno knew Priscilla would come here to find her. That she would ask her for a job and a roof over her head. He was a former profiler for Shinra, after all. He always knew more than he let on…

Tifa moved to take his empty glass, but Reno caught her wrist, locking eyes with the beautiful brunette in front of him momentarily before pulling her swiftly into his lap. A short shriek slipped past her lips as she tumbled into his searching embrace.

"Thanks for waiting around," he said quietly as he held her close, "I'm sorry I never made it up here that night," as he brushed a few strands of hair from her face. "Got caught up with work. Duty calls and all that shit, ya know?"

"I know," she smiled softly, gently stroking the tattoo on his cheek with her thumb. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

He moved to kiss her, soft and sweet, massaging her hips with his thumbs as she straddled him. The kiss deepened gradually as Reno gripped her hips, encouraging her to grind up against him as he balanced the both of them on the small kitchen chair.

He broke the kiss to rasp into her ear, "How long do we have before any kids come barging in?"

She smiled as she whispered back with a gleam in her eye, "A few hours". Her whole body was set ablaze by his presence, and the prospect of being with him all afternoon excited her to no end.

"That works," he moaned softly as she kissed his neck. "Where's your bed? Or should we fuck on the couch like a couple a teenagers?" he chuckled softly.

Tifa pulled back to examine him, peering into aqua depths, holding his gaze before standing up and taking him by the hand to guide him into the living room. Reno couldn't help but let out a laugh as she pointed to the couch, which held a folded blanket and two pillows on the arm rest per Priscilla's sleeping arrangement from the night before. Tifa didn't really care about Priscilla's designated temporary space in her home -or if Reno fucked her on top of it. It was her couch, dammit, and she'd use it however she pleased.

"Nice," he noted before plopping onto the cushions, pulling her down with him.

They kissed briefly before Tifa made her way to a kneeling position on the floor in front of him. Reno was a little more than pleased this course of action, which was made evident by his raised eyebrows. He followed her fairly obvious lead by unbuckling his belt. Tifa's hands took over as she unbuttoned his black cargo pants. He shifted slightly so she could pull them down just enough to gain access to his boxer-briefs. She paused to pull her shirt off, revealing the swell of her breasts above a lacy white bra. Reno leaned forward to hook a finger under a bra strap to stroke the pale skin underneath. She pushed him back again as she hovered over his midsection, pushing up his shirt to expose his toned lower abdomen, kissing and sucking on his muscles, blowing cool air upon the exposed skin, eliciting breathy moans from him as she extracted his hardened cock. He tasted salty and warm as her soft mouth engulfed him. Reno moaned near helplessness, gripping her hair near the scalp as she licked and sucked on him, rubbing her wet lips and kissing the tip before swirling her tongue around the head. Reno swallowed hard. He growled softly as she licked from the bottom of his shaft, up to the tip, before taking him entirely into her mouth again. He reached down to push her bra straps from her shoulders before hoisting her up into his lap.

"You can't do that to me, babe, I'll come too quick," he kissed her softly, fleetingly, "You're _too good _at it. Shit…"

Tifa dove in for a kiss, running her fingers over his chest and clavicles, up to his neck, and through his wild red tresses as he tilted his head back to give her better access. His hands roamed up and down her back, pushing her down onto him as the kiss deepened. She ground up and down on his hips, relishing the groans that rattled within his chest. Her dark hair hung over her shoulder, draping beside them as he reached a hand up to tangle itself in her tresses, drawing her in further. Their kiss spiraled into a sloppy mess as wet tongues drank each other in, leaving saliva dripping down to their chins in a careless fashion.

A rain shower had begun to pour outside as their lovemaking intensified inside the small apartment. Tifa had a few passing thoughts about the girls returning home from the beach early and barging in on them, and about her remaining laundry on the line getting soaked …but fuck it. This all felt too good to just stop now. The rain would be over in no time.

Tifa pulled back to hurriedly remove Reno's olive green t-shirt from over his head, tossing it aside as he sat forward to wrap his arms around her again, pulling her back in to ravish her collar bone, chest, nipping and licking his way to her breasts, kneading one through the fabric of her bra while massaging her lower back with the other. He stopped to look up at her, his pupils dilated and eyelids low in anticipation of getting exactly what he wanted. Those were the looks that left her breathless, that kept him inside of her head for days on end …that kept her from denying him anything he wanted from her.

Wordlessly, she reached back to unclasp her bra, letting it fall from her shoulders and tossing it behind her without a care. Reno leaned forward to lick and suck on her left nipple as she arched her back in response, holding his head to her chest as she massaged his scalp with her fingertips. She continued to grind against his exposed member as he licked, sucked, and bit down softly on her breasts, causing her to squeak softly from a mixture of pleasure and pain. His hands moved to the front of her denim shorts, unbuttoning them as he leaned back to look at her again. She was a sight to behold, disheveled and wanton in her lust for him. He figured he must have done something right in his life to deserve such intimate moments with a stunning creature like Tifa Lockheart.

"You want me to fuck you right?" he smirked at her, unable to help himself from saying something brazen in the midst of it all.

She smirked right back at him, "I dunno… you want me to fuck _you_ right?"

He turned his head and laughed outright, looking back at her with genuine mirth in his eyes, "Absolutely."

She hopped off him momentarily, sitting next to him on the couch to remove her shorts and panties, jokingly flinging them across the room like a slingshot the way Reno had done earlier while he removed his boxers, pants, and boots. He grinned wickedly at her comedic display before grabbing her by the waist and dragging her back to him with a, "C'mere, troublemaker," as they laughed together. Everything was so easy like this, fluid and right.

Before long they were back at it, hot and heavy, as she eased herself onto him, moaning softly at the familiar warmth and fullness of his cock inside of her. She straddled him on the couch, her arms on either side of his head as she stared into his eyes. "I missed this," he puffed out before leaning his head back against the cushion, settling his hands on her powerful thighs, rubbing and squeezing them as she began to move.

"Me too," she breathed. "I missed you," she admitted, blushing furiously as he began to move now too, thrusting up into her, bringing her to greater heights of pleasure as they moved together. It all came so naturally to them. They fit together like pieces of a puzzle. She was nervous, though, that he didn't comment right away, and she felt a bit stupid for admitting that she missed him. But it was true. He had said he thought about her every day they were apart, hadn't he? That she tortured him in his dreams during the months she herself spent wondering what in the world had happened to him...

"Fuck I missed you, too," he spat out as he grabbed hold of her hips now, pushing her down hard as he slammed up into her faster, with less and less restraint. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes screwed shut from pleasure that he was now assaulting her with. _That Reno_… he had the uncanny ability to screw her stupid and make her forget her own name. Her legs began to quake as she tightened around him, the old familiar feeling overtaking her as she snaked her arms around his neck, holding him in a vice-grip as she let out a silent scream, moaning in ecstasy as her first orgasm struck.

The rain beat down faster on the awnings outside as thunder rolled in the distance '_Please, please, please,'_ Tifa prayed to no one in particular… to continue to grant them privacy… to continue their dance….

Without skipping a beat, Reno withdrew from her and repositioned their bodies so that he was now behind while she was bent over the armrest. "This'll be fun," he quipped as he entered her from behind and she held on tight. She could feel it -her pussy was still _'puffy'_ -swollen from her last orgasm, but Reno wasn't done with her yet, and now he was really gonna give it to her to make sure the next one was a long-lasting experience for them both. He started slow, teasing her with the tip of his cock, but once he delved in completely he grabbed her by the wrists, pinning them behind her back as he slammed forward, fast and furious. She screamed his name with her head pressed against the armrest, unable to control her voice as the pleasure became unbearable. _So close, so close…_

"Arch your back," he commanded roughly, as she made garbled noises in an attempt to comply. Once she was able to form the arch, she understood why: he hit the perfect spot, the sweetest angle imaginable, as she cried out in utter bliss. He released her wrists to grab hold of her chin, turning her face to meet her mouth as he slammed upwards, rubbing her clit with rough fingertips as he came right behind her with a few good jolts.

And even though he had been chanting it over and over in her ear, she somehow forgot her name again.

* * *

_**TBC, y'all!**_


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey, y'all!**

**Sorry I've been scarce. It's good to be back! Thanks again for my new followers and kind reviews!**

**Oh and HOLY FUCK FFVII REMAKE AMIRITE?**

**Here's a lil chappy for you to hold you over for a little while. More to come, as always! So much planned, so much excitement! I'm so happy you're here!**

**DISCLAIMER I DON'T OWN THIS STUFF NO MONEY BEING MADE I PROMISE**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

A bright day, a clear sky with a few puffy clouds dotting the shoreline and the sound of propeller blades cutting through the wind….

"Your mother really loved this place," Harrison's gruff voice snapped Reno out of his euphoric daze.

Man, it felt good to fly again. Two months was a long time to be away from the skies -a little too long for the flame-haired pilot's liking. This Mideel Militia business was going to take a bit of getting used to, _and_ he really wished Rude was there with him. Everything was a lot less fun without the quiet Turk and his dry sense of humor dangling in the background.

The air pressure in the cabin changed with a _whoosh_ of air as the chopper made its slow descent back to the island. Harrison grunted with half-smirk as he crossed his arms, gazing fondly at the tropical paradise that lay spread-out for green miles below their feet.

"It's good to have you back, son," he added with a bit more warmth to his tone. He reached over to briefly rub Reno's shoulder before returning to a relaxed position, arms crossed once again.

Reno laughed outright, "I didn't think I'd ever say this, but it's good to BE back. I didn't realize how much I missed it. All of it."

Old choppers like these took a little more time and a tad more love to maneuver, but Reno had all day. Sure, he missed his black hawk baby back at Shinra -he didn't even get to kiss her goodbye, Odin bless her- but as long as he had something, _anything,_ to take to the skies, he'd be content. He had to be, considering that he didn't have much left in terms of worldly possessions at this point - Not that anything he ever owned was truly his in the first place: _Everything_, from his ride to his weapons to his tailored suits -even his frying pans, silverware, and his goddamn cigarette lighters were all property of Shinra Electric Power Corporation. He just had the privilege of utilizing the kindness that they so graciously bestowed upon him for his years of faithful service.

But all of that was fucked now -to say the _very_ least.

He kept the mag rod, though. That thing was practically an extension of his body, an extra limb of sorts. Leaving that behind would be like losing said limb. Nope, couldn't do it. Rude made extra sure to destroy the tracking software that was lurking deep within the device. That way, Reno would be free from the worry of looking over his shoulder as he roamed the globe, living on the run from a former world superpower that was steadily rising once again. They'd never learn...

'_If it wasn't for Rude, …well…'_

"How fares your lady?" Harrison turned to his younger companion again, voice booming with a knowing sparkle in his eye. "Funny thing, the both of you ending up here, hn? One would call it fate. They say the Lifestream always leads us home..."

Reno rolled his eyes. He didn't believe in hocus pocus or fate or destiny. He believed that the Lifestream was a force not to be reckoned with, and he'd stay the hell away from it thank you very much. He also believed that he was in a much better place than he was a month ago, and he wasn't about to fuck it all up by by letting his guard down again. No way, no how. _Not now that Tifa..._

"Frankly," Reno began with a soft sigh, "I don't know how _my lady_ fares -since I had to haul ass out of here to go get you some damn choppers," he dutifully informed his superior as he maneuvered them into a slow descent above an outcropping near one of the older tunnel entrances. Five more choppers could be spotted parked neatly on the ground below them; Harrison's newest acquisitions were right there, sitting pretty, sparkling under the hot Mideel sun.

"She's probably pissed at me. Story of my life, yo," Reno snorted.

"She reminds me of your mother, you know," Harrison added as the chopper settled with a light bump. "Beautiful, with some serious fight in her, but warm and caring, almost to a fault. Stubborn, too. Quick-witted. She sees through bander-shit pretty quick. Women like that are few and far between, son," he lifted a finger to point directly at Reno from his cross-armed position before settling back into his seat again.

Reno gave him a half-smirk before removing the keys from the ignition and unbuckling his seatbelt and shoulder straps. He wasn't about to go on a walk down memory lane with Harrison at this point in time. He really didn't feel like talking about his deceased mother today, so he turned to his superior to inquire, "Permission to leave base, sir? I have some unfinished business to tend to."

Harrison rubbed his chin before answering with a gleam in his eye, "Permission granted. Be back on base by sixteen hundred."

With that, they both hopped out of the chopper, Harrison disappearing into the brush while Reno jogged briskly toward town.

* * *

The path to Final Heaven could be found off the main road in the middle of town. Most of Mideel's roads were covered in gravel, but the quaint island road to Tifa's place was covered in soft mulch and palm leaves. A small wooden sign at the intersection pointed to "Final Heaven: An Island Oasis".

Reno puffed on a cigarette as he began his short walk up the path to Tifa's joint. No more shitty Mideel Spirit 120's for him. Back to the Corel Gold's that he snagged up while on his last asset acquisition assignment. He froze, however, when his ears perked up to little voices caught on the wind -and they were coming at him- Fast. On instinct, the stealthy Turk ducked off the path into the thick jungle brush. The voices were closer now as he heard the whimsical sound of young girls giggling. He could see them much more clearly now: Tifa's girls… well, Janice was under Harrison's care, much like Reno himself a lifetime ago… And another girl -a teenager? -was riding with them, perched on Janice's back. They were barreling toward his position quickly, and on wheels, no less.

Cute.

Reno had spied on Tifa and the gang traipsing around the island on bicycles from time to time. The girls really loved her and enjoyed the precious time she chose to spend with them. He was fairly certain he felt the exact same way about her, with certain added _benefits _to sweeten the deal, bless her soul.

"I ain't neva seen a dolphin up close before!" Janice bellowed as she maneuvered her bike ahead of Marlene. "They don't come near people 'round here."

"Just you wait," the older girl perched on her back leaned in, "Mister Dolphin will come up to us and do tricks for us, you'll see!"

Reno's eyes widened in recognition: _'Silla?' _he nearly thought aloud, but caught himself before giving away his position. _'Well, I'll be damned…'_ He nearly laughed out loud when his favorite little bar-back from Junon whizzed by his crouched position -with Tifa's girls -and not to mention good ol' Bongo flying behind them.

What a sight…

So many people on this island were touched by Tifa's kindness and grace. It made sense that a strong girl like Priscilla would travel far and wide to be with someone like her. Her life was rocky from the get-go, not unlike Tifa herself. He understood the general attraction to the multi-talented bartender, and being a hot-blooded male with a working pair of eyes, he understood his own attraction and the myriad of male patrons that frequented her bar every night.

Reno wandered through the brush, Parallel to the path to Final Heaven, much like he'd done many times before to keep an eye on Tifa from a distance. What was she up to today? He figured that a little covert observation wouldn't hurt anyone...

He gave her a little while to relax after observing her hanging laundry and sweeping the front end of the building that she and Marlene now occupied. Once certain that _'his lady'_ was in her room, he scratched the itch that was bugging him since he noticed her lacy undergarments dangling from the laundry line, practically _begging_ to be handled like some sort of forbidden playthings. He was feeling particularly mischievous today, and being anywhere near Tifa Lockhart always brought out the meddling imp in him. He just couldn't help himself as his hands snatched a particular pair of pink panties from the clothesline, positioning them on his fingers just so, aiming with military-trained precision before flinging them directly into her open window.

After a few more articles clothing flung directly through her window, she appeared: His lady in waiting, waving a fist-full of her unmentionables at him with mock-anger.

She was a vision to behold.

* * *

After the storm passed, they lay together, bodies entwined, sweaty and sated from their heated lovemaking session in the living room. The air was a tad cooler after the rain, which was a welcome comfort in Tifa's stuffy little upstairs apartment.

"Ya know my mom's from around here," Reno stroked his hand up and down his lover's nude back. Tifa was positioned on top of him as they lay together sprawled across the couch. She didn't interrupt him; Instead she repositioned herself to bring her head next to his to listen, watching him as he spoke. "She died when I was a teenager, right around the time Shinra got a hold of me."

He didn't feel like talking about his mom with Harrison, but something about being with Tifa soothed him; made him less reluctant to delve into his past- just a little bit. He felt he owed her that much, at least. She put up with a lot of his shit. The least he could do was make conversation.

Tifa moved to stroke his cheek, rubbing her thumb along his faded red tattoo.

"Mom had these, too," he noted, referring to his facial decorations, itching the other side of his face where the tattoo's mate could be seen. "Not many people around here have 'em, anymore. They're marks of native Mideelians –people that're faithful to the old ways of the land. People like Dinah and her daughter, they're natives. But they don't stick to the rigid practices like body modification the way people used to. Mom was raised more orthodox, I guess…" he trailed off.

Tifa gently brushed a few strands of hair from his face while inquiring, "What was her name?"

He looked at the ceiling before releasing her name like a prayer, "Arihanna Tarshil."

Tifa could tell from the slight quiver in his voice that Reno hadn't dared to speak his mothers name in a long, long time.

"…and your father?" she prodded.

He looked at her now with an expression that she couldn't quite decipher.

"Harrison aint my dad, if that's what you're thinking," he chuckled softly. "But fuck if he didn't love my mom, and tried his damndest to raise me after my dad was whacked, Odin bless him."

Tifa couldn't tell if he was referring to Harrison or his real father….

"My dad was with Shinra, so was Harrison, and so was Dinah's husband. All different divisions. Harrison's the only one left. Shinra never got him. Not yet, anyhow," he laughed. "He also has a knack for sweeping in and marrying his friends widows," he laughed a little more before putting an arm behind his head, watching his feet sway back and forth on the armrest at the other end of Tifa's couch.

"My dad wanted me to be in SOLDIER, that was his final wish to Harrison. To get me into SOLDIER and to take care of my mom after he was gone," he continued. "My dad died in Wutai, as far as I know. Dinah's husband, Janice's real dad, died a while back in Banora. The whole place was leveled by Shinra. They tried to wipe it off the map."

Then Tifa added sofly, "I know how that is."

Reno read her files. He knew all about the Nibelheim incident and subsequent cover-up, and what she and her family had suffered at the hands of Shinra, Sephiroth, all of them. Even now, the faint outline of a scar was visible on her neck and chest, all the way down to her toned abdomen. How she survived an attack from the fabled Masamune was next to impossible to comprehend. She was, without a doubt, the strongest woman he had ever met.

"So what happened with SOLDIER?" she nuzzled her face into his neck, breathing in his earthy scent. "That didn't pan out, huh?"

Reno snorted, "Nope. I never belonged with those knuckleheads anyhow. Bunch of undignified apes. I was out of place from the get-go," he laughed outright. Tifa loved to hear him laugh like that. "Harrison had me run the old bootcamp gauntlet and I outpaced all those idiots. You're looking at the Shinra Company sprinting record holder, baby! Nobody's even come close yet, and that's ten years strong," he beamed with pride.

"You _are_ quick," she added.

"You know it," he growled playfully, tickling her sides.

She swatted him away, giggling before asking, "So what about the Turks, then? How did that happen?"

"How indeed," he shifted to a more comfortable position again. "Well, Veld got a hold of me. He saw my potential. Convinced me to switch divisions. Made it all sound real _alluring_ and _sexy_. Big benefits package, yo."

"Veld?" Tifa cocked an eyebrow.

"The old leader of the Turks," he explained. "Before Tseng took over."

"Ah," Tifa laid her head upon his chest again.

"Right after my first round of Mako injections, Veld got his hands on my file and zeroed-in on the words 'stealth' and 'cunning'. My aptitude tests impressed the fuck out of him, not to mention the good 'ol sprinting record that nearly broke the sound barrier. He lured me in with flying lessons and my very own chopper. The rest is history, yo."

He purposefully left out his mother's untimely death being the catalyst to push him over the edge, and what molded him into a full-blown murder machine.

Another story for another day.

"Yeah," Tifa sighed.

She filed away the conflicting information she received from Priscilla regarding his facial markings. What was the honest truth? Maybe Reno made up a story to put some fear into the younger girl. And Mako injections? That explained Reno's striking eyes. They didn't have the distinct glow of Cloud's eyes, but then again, he had more exposure to it than Reno did; much more than any member of SOLDIER -or any human for that matter- ever should have. Cloud was poisoned by Mako _twice,_ yet somehow he survived. The Jenova cells in his body made him quite durable.

Tifa had the feeling that was all she was going to get from Reno today. It was enough for now. If he felt like talking about his mother, or about what happened during their time apart, he'd have to do it on his own terms. She didn't want to break up what little time they had together today.

Today was good.

* * *

"Do you like persimmons? I picked these yesterday, they seem ripe."

The pair found themselves in the kitchen again, fully clothed as Tifa scavenged for something to eat. Needless to say, their time spent in the living room burned some calories, which left her a bit famished afterwards. Before Reno had a chance to answer her question, the distinct sound of footfalls clambering up the stairs could be heard outside, accompanied by the chatter of a group of excited young girls coming their way.

"They're ba-ack," Reno tilted his head as he leaned against the kitchen counter, while Tifa inspected the contents of her hanging fruit basket. A cacophony of voices echoed off the walls as the door opened and the girls poured in.

They stopped short when the saw Reno standing in front of them.

"Hi Reno!" Marlene greeted, walking past him like it was no big deal. Janice stared him down as she sat at the kitchen table while Priscilla's jaw dropped in pure surprise.

"Hey kiddo," Reno smiled down at Marlene as she made her way to sit with Janice at the table. Then he looked up at their new companion, "Hey there 'Silla. Long time."

"H-hi," Priscilla smiled shyly up at her former patron. "How are you?"

Janice watched this exchange like a three-headed Harpy. She did not trust the new guy one iota.

"Fine, thanks. Tifa tells me you're shacking up here with her 'n Marlene, huh?"

Tifa moved to place some fruit on the table in front of the girls in an attempt to get Janice to refocus, "Did you girls have a nice time at the beach? I hope the rain wasn't too bad."

"Yeah," Marlene snatched a piece of pinkish-colored fruit, peeling it with her little fingers, "We saw some dolphins, but we couldn't find Mister Dolphin, so we just swam around for a while instead. We're gonna try again tomorrow."

"What's _he_ doing here?" Janice leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms defensively.

Reno made quick note of Janice's displeasure before glancing back to Priscilla.

"Yeah I'm gonna be here for a bit. Tifa's gonna let me work for her," she smiled softly. "How about you? I've never seen you in anything but your suit before. Are you still with Shinra?"

"Reno _defected," _Marlene noted as she slurped on a piece of fruit, juice dribbling down her face. "He doesn't work for them anymore."

"Marlene!" Tifa rushed over to her with a dishrag in an effort to clean her up and quiet her down.

Reno let out a puff of air, "There you have it," he smiled. "I work for Janice's dad now. He's an old friend of mine."

"Oh," Priscilla said simply. "That's cool."

"Would you like something to eat?" Tifa offered before moving to stand beside Reno, peeling her own piece of pinkish-colored fruit.

Priscilla appraised the pair with a knowing eye, "I'm good right now. We got popsicles from a super-cute guy selling them on the beach. I'm just gonna relax on the couch for a bit until dinner if that's okay."

It took nearly every fiber of Reno's being to control himself from bursting into convulsive laughter. Tifa swiftly elbowed him in the ribs before answering the younger girl, "No problem sweetie. You just relax until opening time, okay?"

All three girls looked at the pair of so-called adults in front of them, wondering what joke they weren't being let in on.

"Sure," Priscilla shirked back into the hallway. "It was nice seeing you again!" she waved as she made her way into the living room.

Reno's mind flashed back to a little while earlier as Tifa meticulously adjusted the couch and its contents back to the way it was before they had wrecked it. He liked having secret encounters with Tifa. It excited him to no end. Maybe he'd slam her in Marlene's room next…

"Well, then," Tifa interrupted his wildly inappropriate chain of thoughts, "I have to get that soaked laundry off the line. Do you girls mind cleaning dishes and sweeping the kitchen before opening time?"

"Yep!" Marlene bounced in her seat. Janice remained quiet as she peeled a piece of fruit.

"I gotta get back to base. Maybe I'll catch you tomorrow," Reno pushed off the counter and made his way to the door.

"Bye Reno!" Marlene's voice followed him.

Tifa followed him out, walking down the stairs and around the building to the basement tunnel entrance. He stopped short of the basement door to turn and snatch her up, kissing her with wreckless abandon. He pushed her up against the building, assaulting her mouth and neck before tearing himself away.

"Just in case I get sent out for another two weeks without warning," he winked before ducking into the underground.

Tifa stood there, completely flushed and somewhat breathless before stumbling over to her laundry line.

She noticed Bongo perched on the metal bar above her before he let out a cat-call whistle.

"Yeah, tell me about it," she replied as she began the arduous task of wringing out rain-soaked laundry before hanging it to up dry again.

* * *

_**TBC...**_


	28. Chapter 28

**HI EVERYBODY!**

**Man, I missed y'all. **

**I've been in a time warp. Also, I've been locked up for the winter. Mostly reading new Star Wars fanfiction, god bless. Reylo for life. I've fallen down the trash compactor and I'm never coming out. Message me or comment if you want to see some Reylo action, because I want to write it.**

**Crack ships forever.**

**And Ever.**

**Standard disclaimers apply! See you on the other side. **

**Stay warm, lovelies!**

* * *

Tifa fidgeted nervously as the elegant islander sitting across from her inspected her materia.

"Dis right here –dis be very powerful. It vibrates wit da great spirit. Muuuch strongah dan anyting we got around here, see," Dinah held up the small translucent orb, her wicker chair creaking as she shimmied forward to help Tifa get a better look.

Tifa straightened in her own chair before leaning in to speak, appreciating the small flecks of light that bounced off of the rounded jewel.

"Just _how_ powerful are we talking here?"

Dinah clicked her tongue before rolling the green orb in her palm with her index finger, searching, _feeling_ for something within. Her eyes rolled back before closing in quiet contemplation. Tifa's breath hitched at the strange sight in front of her: Even though this woman looked and acted very differently from the mysterious Ancient that she and Marlene knew and loved, the fact remained that Dinah reminded Tifa very much of Aerith. Dinah's spiritual energy resonated with a crackling energy, much like Tifa's fallen companion and the former owner of the master restore materia in question.

"Dinah?" the younger brunette whispered as she tentatively reached a gentle hand out to the frozen woman in front of her, but quickly retreated, choosing instead to pluck her cup of tea from it's saucer on the table beside them. She didn't fancy interrupting anything important that Dinah might have been seeking within. Instead, Tifa resigned herself to her seat cushion, sipping the floral tea as Dinah did her internal spirit-work. Then, after a few quiet moments, Dinah opened her eyes. She smiled big and bright -with a certain _warmth_ behind her eyes that was oh-so-familiar to Tifa. That was the look Aerith had whenever she had a hopeful or encouraging conversation with the planet.

"I knew dis was special. What ya got here girl? Where it come from?" Dinah raised an eyebrow. She already knew the answer but she wanted to hear Tifa talk about it aloud. She wanted the lovely young fighter who swept into the island like a tidal wave to open up to her, too.

Tifa placed her cup in its saucer, leaning forward before answering, "It belonged to a dear friend. Marlene and I loved her very much. She died a few years ago…" she cast her eyes downward now, replaying the memory of the slaughter of an angel at the hands of a madman. She shivered before meeting Dinah's eyes again.

"Ah," the older woman took Tifa by the hand, placing the orb in her palm before closing it into a fist with both hands. "Whatcha got here is precious. It an itty-bitty piece uh your girl. She inside it, just a bit. She gonna take care uh you. She always witchu an da little one."

Tifa smiled. Something had compelled her to take her special materia to Dinah. A dream? A whisper on the wind? A nudge from Aerith herself?

It was as though the lovely Cetra had a message for her:

_'I'm with you.'_

Tifa knew somehow, some way, that as long as she carried Aerith with her that she and Marlene would be safe. And to think Cloud spent so much time out there searching for her when she was right here all along… well, it saddened her.

Tifa's relationship with Cloud had changed, evolved, grown maybe? She understood now that Aerith was never her competition, never her adversary in matters of the heart. Aerith was, well…. Aerith. She had saved them all. And on more than one occasion, no doubt. Even in death she was still powerful, still doing the work that Aerith did best: Watching over and protecting the people and planet that she loved with her entire being.

"Thank you for that," Tifa's voice quivered slightly. "It means a lot to me."

Dinah reached out a hand to stroke Tifa's cheek, "You're welcome lovely. Oh so welcome. I'm so happy ya came to visit ta-day. Da yeffadils be in full bloom. Dey got a fragrance dat'll blow ya hair back," she laughed.

"You know," Tifa smiled, "My friend who passed away, she would have loved this place. She grew flowers in Midgar. She was the only one who could do it. She sold them above the plate to make a living."

Dinah poured herself a cup of tea with a knowing smile, "Mmhmm. She told me alla dat."

Tifa nearly spit out her tea, "_Who_ told you _what _now?"

"S_he_ told me," Dinah repeated simply, smiling politely at the dumbfounded girl in front of her. "Ya lovely flower girl. I told ya," she explained further, "She in dat little piece uh da planet yuh got dare. Yuh gotta listen, girl," she laughed.

"Wait," Tifa interjected, shakily putting her tea down, "You mean she actually SPOKE to you?"

Over the next hour Dinah told Tifa where she came from, how she came to possess such spiritual knowledge and prowess, and why she and Janice allowed a man like Captain Harrison to take care of them after her husband died.

Dinah was a native daughter of Mideel: a continent divided. On one side of Mideel resided people with dark skin and deep spiritual knowledge. They were the closest beings on the planet that resembled the ancients, spirit-wise. The other side of the island fostered light-skinned people with red and blonde hair and blue eyes, remnants of a shipwreck, refugees from a lost continent in the distant past. These people were a stark contrast to the peaceful Mideelians. These transplants were of a fierce warrior tribe that induced bloodshed and practiced body modification and human sacrifice. Dinah's ancestors revered and protected the Lifestream that flowed beneath them. They lived off the land in balance harmony, while the others were only concerned with self-preservation, land cultivation, and survival.

Tifa began to put the pieces together: Were Reno and his mother descendants of this light-skinned tribe that Dinah spoke of? They had to be. And it seemed as though Harrison was one of them, too. Maybe? It was hard to say for sure at this point in time.

For centuries Mideel was cut off from the rest of the world, and still was to this day -to a certain extent. While the Ancients as Tifa knew them: The Cetra, battled The Calamity from the Sky: Jenova, the Mideelians fought to preserve their homeland from the people who infiltrated their island: The MoaNai.

"So your husband…" Tifa interjected.

"Yes," Dinah finished the last of her tea and placed her cup in its saucer, "He a MoaNai. And so is ya boy. And his mama was too."

"My… boy?" Tifa furrowed her brow in confusion. "Oh!" the realization hit her. Embarrassed at Dinah's keen observation, she blushed in response, "Reno… Reno's not my _anything_." She could feel the lie creeping up her neck in a flush. Her rapidly reddening skin gave her away entirely.

"Cha," Dinah gave her the stink-eye, "I doubt dat. He come in here lookin' for ya favrit bloom. Yuh wear it in ya hairr. Ya don't think my Janice don't tell me what she be seein'?"

Tifa grinned sheepishly. She'd been ousted (by a 10-year-old, no less).

"Dat's a boy who _be deep in it_, girl. You best be on ya toes cuz he gonna sweep you away. How yuh tink Ronan gotta holda me, cha?" she had a touch of mirth in her eyes as she took Tifa by the hand.

"But," Tifa tried her very best to change the subject, "you and the captain are so… different from one another. That doesn't bother you at all?"

Dinah smiled thoughtfully, "My dear, dats just it: I like how different Ronan be from me. It's why I love him so, so much. My late husband, may he rest peacefully in da Lifestream, he and I was so, so alike. And Janice, she be just like him. She look like him, talk like him, even walk like him! Like she in charge uh da whole ting, as dey say. When he died, I walked in darkness fuh so long. But Ronan, he was always dare taking care uh me and muh babygirl. We grieved togeddah, because he loved my husband, too. Dey was like bruddahs. And in dat grief we found love, we found da light again. We gonna change da world togeddah. We gonna raise Janice to do it right next time. Differences are just small tings dat get in da way of what really matters."

"And what's that?" Tifa smiled softly, holding back confused tears at Dinah's words.

"Love."

* * *

"Fuck these taste like ass," Reno spewed, gagging and coughing for dramatic effect.

"Well then maybe you should quit!" Harrison guffawed. "Ass isn't that delightful of a flavor." The mirth in the Captain's eyes was an unwelcome sight to the long-suffering Turk.

"Yeah and maybe you should lose a few pounds," Reno sulked behind his Captain with his hands stuffed in his pockets as they navigated through the dimly-lit, subterranean tunnels.

"That's the lack of nicotine talking, son."

"If you sent me back to the mainland I could get some better ones. I could grab you some of that Corel wine that you like, too," Reno delegated. Always scheming to get his own way…

"We don't waste fuel on booze and cigarette runs, my friend. And it's too risky to send anyone out right now. Shinra is mobilizing. We need you here."

"What's the latest," Reno shuffled up into Harrison's bunker, nodding to the saluting female guards that stood watch over the Captain's domain.

"Scouts north of Banora reported movement on the defunct planned reactor site. If they're going to make a move on us, that's the most viable option at this point in time. If they struck us out in the open that would open them up to some severe backlash: The WRO would have to get involved. They're watching already, after Junon. Rufus seems to be working covertly with your old gang, as well as other loyalists in a few pockets. They're gaining size and momentum again."

"Tell me about it," Reno scoffed, leaning against a strategy table. "Rufus went balls to the wall re-enlisting kids from before the Crisis. And a few newbie's, too. Loyalists, like you said."

Harrison walked up to him, looking his own new (old? Reclaimed?) recruit up and down, towering over him, sizing him up, "And what about your loyalty, son? When it comes down to it, whose side will you be on?"

Reno smiled with the faintest hint of malevolence behind his eyes, "I'm on my own side. Always have been, always will be."

"Good," Harrison quipped, before moving to gather the latest printouts from the field. "Your time in confinement shook ShinRa from your system, I take it?"

Reno picked up a tactical rifle from the nearest table. While examining the scoping system he sighed audibly, "Yeah, you could say that. I'll never completely be rid of it. Kinda like a _virus_ that sticks or whatever, but no, I ain't goin' back again."

"Hmm," Harrison flipped through a handful of charts, "Understood. They took so much from us. We gave them everything we had. And they gave us much of what we needed, too: Resources, training, more weapons than we knew what to do with. And what do we have to show for it? More fighting, more war, more destruction… The world is different now, son. We have to move forward."

"Yeah," Reno nodded his head, reaching absentmindedly for his damned Mideel Spirits.

"Rufus Shinra is no benevolent saint," Harrison Boomed. "His belief in his own right to power makes him no different than the deranged general who terrorized the planet. He and his family have meddled with the planet and its people for long enough. We will put an end it," Harrison stood firm in his resolve. "One way or another, it will end."

* * *

_…How much longer?_

_How long has it been?_

_Fuck this cell. I'm cold._

_….Rude…._

_Somebody. Anybody._

_"…Tifa," slips past his lips in a whisper. A moan. A prayer._

* * *

Reno found himself at her bar that night, grateful for the steady stream of whiskey provided for him.

_Her_, Tifa, the answer to his prayers.

Wait …did he even pray?

He wasn't like that Ancient.

The memories were intensifying.

_"You're one of us now. This is how the world works, son. It shows no mercy, and we give none back."_

The booming voice of Veld rang through Reno's head like blaring klaxons, forcing him to _remember._

Reno's memories were much more vivid as of late. The more time he spent in the same proximity of the Lifestream, the harder it became to escape the ghosts of his past, the sins of his profession, the blood that never washed out. His time in confinement hadn't helped either. If there was one place Reno never wanted to be, it was alone with his thoughts.

It was late. Priscilla could be found sitting on the deck surrounded by locals closer to her age, that _stupid fucking freeze pop vendor_ being one of them. Bongo could be seen perched above the taps, surveying the small crowd left seated inside the bar.

"Marlene starts school tomorrow," Tifa mentioned as she dunked some glasses in the wash sink. "You'll be seeing more of her underground again," she smiled.

"Cheers to that," Reno tipped his glass up, polishing off the remainder of the bitter brown liquid.

The tail-end of the evening was quiet -thank the maker. Priscilla took off to the beach with the rag-tag gang of islanders, but not before Reno sauntered over and propositions _Mister Twisty_ for the entirety of the contents of his ice cream cart. He had an aching sweet tooth and wanted to know if the kid could provide, emptying his pockets of the last of his gil in the process.

Tifa raised and eyebrow as Reno approached unsuspecting Miguel, readying herself for what was to come next.

Surprisingly, from her viewpoint from behind the bar, the transaction went smoothly. The whole scene was followed up by Reno returning indoors and dropping all sorts of assorted frozen goodies on the bar, not to mention the sight of a red popsicle dangling from his mouth.

"Eat up," he motioned, plopping back into his seat as she wiped the bar down.

"This stuff is going to melt all over my bar, Reno," she huffed.

"Not if you _eat up_," he grinned in defiance.

To that she thew up her hands, bundling the cold treats in her arms and dropping them in the mug-frosting cooler.

"What's with all this?" she side-eyed him, attempting to assess his odd behavior.

He removed the popsicle from his mouth, biting of a chunk of the cold treat in the process, "Can't smoke. My other vice." He extended the popsicle to her. She begrudgingly swiped it from his grip, looking around to make sure no one was looking before licking it, sucking it, and removing it from her lips with a 'pop', winking impishly before handing it back to him.

He elicited an amused moan/chuckle before enjoying what was left of the red piece of sugary ice.

"I didn't know you were quitting," she threw over her shoulder as she counted her cash drawer.

"I ain't a quitter," he reared up, before leaning back in his seat.

"This is true," she smiled to herself as she prepared to close down for the night.

* * *

An hour later the pair found themselves in Tifa's tiny kitchen. She hauled half of the frozen treats from the bar cooler up into her freezer. Reno was on his third popsicle, and she on her first. He preferred sugar water while she indulged in a creamy chocolate concoction with a crunchy outer shell. The two of them were bound to induce an insulin-high at any moment.

"How did you get a hold of my strong box?" she finally brings up the burning subject, licking a melted piece of chocolate from her fingers.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he shows her his teeth.

"You wrecked my old place and took it with you," she put a hand on her hip, pointing her treat at him accusingly.

"Me?" he pointed at himself, flabbergasted. "Lady you got the wrong guy," he shook his head.

"Oh do I," she pressed on. "So whoever wrecked my bar in Edge, doing Shinra's dirty work—that wasn't _you_? That was somebody else?" she mocked him.

Something in her stirred. She just couldn't help herself. Her conversation with Dinah that morning shook her to the core. Her fear was getting the best of her.

Reno peered up at her with a glint of _something_ in his eyes.

She was about to go down a dangerous road.

_Memories. Not all of them good ones._ They were a raging river pushing against a dam at its absolute breaking point.

**This was a long time coming.**

"I brought you your fucking box of nostalgia all the way from the main continent. Be a little more grateful," he said quietly, darkly, with a hint of venom. Unmoving.

_Grateful?_ That strongbox held a few of Jessie's belongings, scavenged after the plate dropped and pulverized her with the rest of Tifa and Barret's friends from Sector 7.

There were just some things that Tifa couldn't hold back anymore as her entire body began to shake. What were they, even? And what did the future hold? He wormed his way into her heart and she didn't know what to do with him, with these _feelings_. What in the world was she doing with this –this murderer. This scoundrel. This person who she never in her wildest dreams expected to…

Panic mixed with something else _(…rage?)_ settled over Tifa's skin, seeping into her bloodstream and rattling her to the bone.

"Come to think of it," she started up again, feeling something ugly and acrid pooling inside of her like poison waiting to be expelled, "That's not the first time you destroyed my place. How long before you wreck this one, too? Add it to your roster, why don't you? Harrison's already claimed his stake. You gonna blow it all up if he tells you to?" She couldn't quite help herself and the emotionally charged jab she hit him head-on with. But she knew what she said. She knew was she was doing. The effects of her words were plastered all over his face.

Reno snarled as his fist slammed across her table, condiments went soaring as the side of his fist collided with her wall. The resounding shake was followed by a crack in the wood, splinters sticking out of tacky wallpaper, plaster powder billowing through the air. He lunged out of his chair, grabbing her harder than he ever had, much harder than she was prepared to handle, sensing a sort of dominance she hadn't felt from him before.

She brought it out of him. She couldn't deny that she was asking for this, in a way.

He looked her dead in the eyes while pinning her arms at her sides in a vice grip as she struggled, leering at her with bared fangs and a twisted smile, "I know there's a part of you that still hates me deep down in your pretty little bones for what I did to your corner of the slums." His grin widened maniacally, terrifying her in a way she could never quite imagine before this.

Her eyes searched his, looking for some semblance of remorse, for …something. Anything.

She softened somewhat, ever-caring, "I …no," she looked away from him now, afraid to voice such ugly feelings. She regretted her words from earlier. She couldn't hate him, no. She could hate what he did, but she couldn't hate _him_. …Could she? Now she was genuinely confused. She recalled feeling such a burning hatred for him in the past, for all the lives lost and battles that nearly tore her in half (literally, considering what happened to her at the hands of Sephiroth when she was still a child).

"Don't lie to me," he warned quietly, his head cocked to the side, considering her with a burning intensity. She nearly flinched. He was getting pretty heated now.

Tifa knew he was only getting warmed up. She remembered this side of Reno, oh yes. The Reno that was downright sadistic if the occasion called for it. Someone must have said something to him… or he saw or heard something that dredged up the awful past. She knew he had never really forgiven himself for what he did to all of those people who dwelled underneath the plate.

Could she forgive him? Truly forgive and let go?

She wasn't so sure. She and him… they had been avoiding this for so long. Too long.

She felt trapped. This was the Reno she knew others feared. The part of Reno that was malicious, ruthless, and cunning. She knew he instilled fear in so many people, but she wasn't about to fall apart in front of him. She was tough, one of the toughest fighters on the planet, and she'd wreck his shit (so to speak) if push came to shove (...so to speak). She knew all too well that behind the laid-back, happy-go-lucky demeanor that Reno exuded something dark laid dormant, ready to strike when no one was paying attention.

So instead of lying to him, Tifa shed light on her own personal truth, the honesty that lay buried deep in her chest: "I hate Shinra. And I hate what you did. I hate it so much that it makes me sick," she spat at him, lurching forward in his grip.

Tifa found her own anger now and oddly enough, Reno seemed delighted about it. He gripped her tighter, preventing her from moving an inch as he pressed her body into the doorframe. It was an uncomfortable position as the wood painfully dug into the sensitive space between her shoulder blades. She could handle it, though. She'd dealt with _much_ worse. She silently thanked the maker above that Marlene was underground with Janice and Barret for the night. Marlene had witnessed more than enough of Tifa's emotional transgressions.

"Go on," the interrogating Turk within him coaxed her with a softer voice now, as she was visibly shaking underneath him, "Tell me what else you hate. What keeps you awake at night, burning with rage, Tifa Lockhart? What makes you hot with anticipation?" his lips curled into a feral smile, his sharp canines on full-display.

"What the fuck, Reno?!" she snapped at him. "What is this?" she tried moving again. Unfortunately for her, in his rage he was a hair stronger than she. They were nearly matched in that capacity, as well as his own prowess in martial arts (albeit the _dirty damned Turk_ fought _much_ dirtier than she did). Lithe and agile as he was, there was the hidden strength of a man twice his breadth buried beneath the surface. Reno was a vicious monster should the opportunity arise.

_ Stupid fucking Turk_, she thought bitterly. He knew what he was doing. He knew how to get what he wanted, and if unbridled anger was what he wanted, well, she was the pretty much the definition of a '_Woman Scorned'._

He really didn't know what he was in for, did he?

"You started this, Tifa. _This,_" he leaned in to whisper in her ear, sending shivers crashing throughout her extremities, "is your chance to tell me what you _really_ think of me. Just what you've always wanted. Tell me I'm wrong."

"I think you're a real asshole," she fired back, eyes glaring malice.

"And?"

"_And,"_ she narrowed her eyes, "if you don't get off me, you're going to be sorry."

He took the opportunity to shove a hand up her shirt in defiance.

"No," she clawed at his hand, but in her haste he grabbed her other wrist and held it above her head as he went for her neck with his raging mouth, biting down, eliciting a yelp from her.

_Why is he doing this?_

"Reno!" she hollered, using all of her energy to fight back. She made a move to knee him in the stomach, but he blocked it, catching her leg with one hand and her waist with the other. He didn't have time to block the blow to his head from her fist, however, which sent him reeling backwards into her small hallway.

It didn't take long for him to recover. Reno could take a beating like nobody else she ever came into hand-to-hand combat with (save for that freak Sephiroth clone, Loz).

"I'd do it again, you know," he growled, as he smashed another wall with his fist before stalking towards her. "I'd punch in those codes again if I had to. I'd wipe that whole goddamned sector right off the map, just like I did when you and your rag-tag gang of freedom fighting eco-warriors tried to stop me from doing my _FUCKING JOB_," he was practically heaving now, shouting, towering over her menacingly. He was acting downright animalistic.

As he made his way toward her again she made a dash for the door but was stopped short as strong hands grabbed her waist, pulling her into his body roughly, wrapping an arm across her chest and shoulders as she struggled against him. She elbowed him sharply in the midsection -which only served to anger him further. They both stumbled into the living room with his arms still around her.

"I'd kill every motherfucker –crush every man, woman, and child under that plate again. Smash them like the _FUCKING VERMIN_ that they are! I did them all a favor, Tifa," he snarled in her ear. "Slum life is no way for _anyone_ to live. They're better off dead."

"That was MY HOME," she cried out. "Those were MY FRIENDS! You KILLED THEM!" she howled. "So many people," she sobbed. He let her go at that, and she crumpled to the ground.

_Wedge, Biggs, Jessie… _Her neighbors and friends, all fighting to survive under the oppression of Shinra. They were her comrades, her family. And in an instant, all their lives were snuffed out. Just like he said: nothing but vermin to Shinra, crushed under their boot. Exterminated. Eradicated.

And Reno was the one who carried out the order.

Shinra gave the order, Reno complied. Reno hit the switch. Reno ended it all.

He could have said no. He could have refused and got out sooner. But still, if he did, he'd be relieved of duty or worse. And someone else would have been sent to do the deed anyway. The job always got done, one way or another.

"You never belonged down there, Teef. You got out alive 'cause you're smart. All those other people, well, there's worse ways to die," he softened somewhat, but he was still pretty amped up.

She couldn't believe how cold he was acting. She couldn't believe what he was saying. Did the man have no soul?

What had she gotten herself into with all of this?

She turned to look at him. She wouldn't cry, oh no. She'd done enough crying in her lifetime thus far. He stood over her, clenching and unclenching his fist in front of him, haughty in his scrutiny of her…

"You're heartless, Reno, " she looked up at him in horror, with malice lurking behind her big doe eyes.

He laughed outright at her, "Oh come on!"

Then, like a shockwave crashing through her system, a stark realization washed over her, "What happened to you …in the Sector Seven slums?"

Reno visibly stiffened. He'd been caught.

Tifa was a highly perceptive woman, he had to give her _that much, _at least. But that was all he'd give her. He wasn't about to let her go digging around too deep into his past. _That_ would be a little too dangerous.

They held a staring contest for a few more tense moments before Reno broke the silence, dodging her question entirely, squatting in front of her as he asked, "What do your friends think of you now, hn? Now that they all know you've been doing the dirty with someone like me? They must think you're a _real slut_ with no morals left to bargain with," he goaded, side-eyeing her for a reaction.

That did it.

She lunged for his throat, slamming him into the wall with a big quake. Reno simply laughed in between coughing fits from the brutal impact. Tifa never in her life imagined that they'd be back to _this_. It was as though he wanted them to become enemies again. Hell, that'd make it easier for him, wouldn't it? Had he 'caught feelings' for her and he didn't want to deal with them?

Probably, but now he _had to_ fuckin' deal with them. She was no better.

"You FUCKING ASSHOLE!" she screamed while slamming him with her fists. "You can't treat me like this! Why are you talking to me this way?"

He grabbed he wrists and pinned them behind her as he flipped their positions: she was against the wall again as he pressed up into her, "Because you should've never have let me in. I'm not a good person, Tifa… _and you know it_."

No. She refused his reasoning. He cared about her. She knew that much. He hated himself and he desperately wanted her to hate him, too. Well, if it meant getting through to him, she'd have to change tactics. She knew the one thing that would always change his mood…

"I don't want a _'good person'_," she twisted under his iron grip. The both of them were sporting the beginnings of more than a few ugly bruises now after knocking each other around for the past couple of minutes. "I don't want what everyone else thinks I should or shouldn't have. I want what's REAL!"

"You don't know what the fuck you want," he tilted his head, inching closer, inhaling her sweet scent, "You don't know what's good for you."

"And you do?!" she was still raging with her cheek pressed uncomfortably into the wall.

"You want everything that's wrong for you," he gripped harder, causing her to wince. "You want people like me and Strife. You want head cases that you think you can fix."

"Do NOT say his name to me," she warned. Reno knew nothing of her feelings for Cloud, yet he was hell-bent on saying anything and everything to hurt her. He must be hurting pretty fierce himself to be subjecting her to such emotional, verbal, and physical brutality.

"Why not?" he licked the shell of her ear. "You couldn't have the pretty blonde SOLDIER so you're slumming it with your enemy, right? Fitting."

"Reno," she whispered, tired and ragged, "Please stop. Please…"

But he wouldn't relent.

"You still love him. I'm just better in bed," he licked and nipped at her neck.

That was it: Reno felt inferior. Something happened to make him feel like the lowest of the low, and all of his insecurities came rushing up to the surface. And Tifa was caught in the crossfire of his raging emotions. It didn't excuse his disgusting behavior, but it was certainly an explanation for his brutality at her prodding.

By the grace of Shiva, Tifa was somehow able to twist out of his grip, kicking him hard before dashing down the hallway. She landed just out of his reach to take safe haven in Marlene's room. With ragged breaths she slammed the door in his face, locking it tight as she figured out her next move. What in the world happened to him during his time in confinement?

"Teeee-faaaa," he lightly knocked on the door and she jumped back. If only she had some materia on her, she could knock him back and get out.

"Don't make me tear the door off."

"What happened to you in Sector Seven?!" she rang out loudly in response.

She felt his fist pound and rattle the door.

"Reno!" she yelled a warning.

The pounding halted momentarily.

She knew it wasn't over… yet.

She also knew there was only one way to end this; only one way to stop this madness. And it involved her _being a slut with no morals_, as he so lovingly put it.

The doorknob bobbed up and down violently from something bashing it on the other side: Reno had apparently resorted to kicking the damn thing off (Typical Turk Tactics: If it wouldn't budge, kick it in. That, or shoot the thing.)

She was grateful at least that it hadn't come to the use of automatic weapons in her happy home.

The door knob fell to the ground with a thud while Tifa stood firm in the middle of Marlene's sweetly decorated bedroom.

The door opened wide to reveal his own maniacal form. A feral smile formed upon his lips as he stepped closer, grabbing her by the wrist and yanking her forward. She wasn't going to fight him, not like this, not while he was so obviously tormented by something. He wanted more of a fight and she wasn't about to give him another inch. It wasn't worth it, and she didn't want to continue to wreck her newly furnished apartment.

"Just tell me you hate me," he said calmly into her ear, his voice deep and coaxing. "Tell me the truth."

"Tell me what happened in Sector Seven," she challenged.

He looked away briefly, struggling internally, and looked back at her again, "Nothing good... Y'know you're the only good thing that ever came out of the Sector Seven Slums, babe."

Her breath hitched as he studied her a moment longer.

"Me? A slut with questionable morality? You owe me a new doorknob, Turk," she deadpanned.

He was on her with dizzying speed.

The rest was a blur. Reno had her on her back on Marlene's twin bed, tearing at her flimsy yellow tank top until it ripped nearly in half, ravaging her neck, clavicles, breasts, as she hung on to him for dear life. A chocobo toy squeaked under her neck as he shoved his hand down into her shorts, assaulting her clit with calloused fingertips while she arched up into his demanding palm. Within a minute or two, the rest of her clothing was discarded as he hovered above her, making haste as he pulled his hardened cock out of the confines of his cargo pants, shoving into her swiftly, spreading her legs wide as he pushed to the hilt. Tifa recoiled as he hit her core too soon, wincing from the pleasure followed by the sharp pain of too much too quick.

"Just fuckin' take it, Teef," he ground out as he began to move, gripping the top of the bed as his hips began to undulate.

This was a different kind of sex than Tifa had ever experienced: This was brutal. This was intoxicating -too fast to comprehend.

This was _angry _sex.

She had a hard time keeping up. Each time she tried to wrap her legs around his waist, he wouldn't allow it, one hand moving to grip her thigh beneath the back of her knee, the other holding an ankle to keep her spread wide open for him. Not to mention she was completely naked while he was still fully clothed, combat boots and all. (Degrading. Where were her morals?)

...and it _felt good._

He stripped his shirt off and hunched over her, grabbing her face to make her look at him, "Tell me how much you hate me, Teef." He continued pumping in and out, wrenching a whimper from her mouth at the delicious drag she felt deep inside. His other hand moved to her breast, his thumb padding the over-sensitized nub of her nipple as he watched the writhing female beneath him. Her face contorted into an "oh" at the onslaught of sensation.

Then, he pulled out of her entirely, resting his cock on her engorged lips, teasing her there as he pressed his forehead to hers, sweat beading around her hairline. He slipped a thumb between her lips and she bit down softly.

"Tifa," he breathed her name like a solemn prayer before pushing back in again. She panted loudly, wildly as he picked up the pace, slamming her hard, almost _too_ hard. Almost.

"SAY IT!" he growled at her, Marlene's little bed straining, creaking under their combined weight and erratic movements.

Stars and spots of blackness began to form in Tifa's field of vision as Reno bent her legs all the way back again, her ankles encircling his neck. The pleasure was fierce, washing over her like a tidal wave as she sobbed in a mix of pleasure and agony, "I don't... NO! Reno you fucking asshole... _I love you_…" she sucked in a breath to find her voice again, "RENO!"

And so she came, dragged out with the tide. She was drowning. Drowning. Drowning….

* * *

Later, she cracked an eye open.

A lanky man was draped over her, his head resting beneath her chin.

"Mom died in Sector Seven."

He didn't look at her, rather, shifted so that he was looking up at the ceiling.

"They got her and took her to the slums. That was the end of her," he ran a hand through his damp hair.

Tifa didn't dare to ask who _they_ were. Instead she stroked her fingertips along his scalp, content to listen.

Reno sat up suddenly, turning his head to peer at her from over his shoulder, "You're the only good thing to ever come from that shit hole. Honestly."

He stood and gathered his discarded T-shirt before sitting on the bed next to her reclining form. She was a rare sight: A completely nude, curvaceous female in the afterglow of sex, spread out on a small bed in a little girl's whimsical room. It was enough imagery to fuel his fantasies for years to come.

"Y'know," he looked towards the window now, deep in thought, "The last woman who said she loved me and meant it died down there. I wanted everyone else to die down there too."

Tifa's heart nearly stopped.

He turned his gaze back to her before continuing, "And then you made it out of there alive. I nearly killed you, but now you're here with me." He continued to stare at her, awestruck by her mere presence, her whole existence. He leaned in closer, closer, nuzzling her nose with his own as she reached a hand around his neck, pulling him closer. "And you don't hate me," he whispered into her mouth before they kissed one another gently. Tifa was struck with a sudden thought: Not once during their last round of fucking did they kiss. _Not once._

"No," she whispered in between kisses, "I don't hate you."

"You love me," he breathed in disbelief, dipping his tongue back into her mouth.

She moaned softly as he placed a hand on the nape of her neck, deepening the kiss. She felt like her admission had granted him some new power over her, and it sincerely frightened her. What would he do with this information? Would he use it against her? Would he embarrass her, reject her-

"Tifa I love you," he panted before pressing her back into the bed, swallowing her soft moans with his mouth.

He helped her stay afloat as they made love this time. If she drowned, he'd follow her into the depths to die a slow, noble death alongside her. Because she did, in fact, have morals. And maybe, just maybe, she could be his redemption.

* * *

**_We got some resolvin' and absolution on the way! Stay tuned, folks!_**

**_Forever your girl, _**

**_~V_**


	29. Into the Fire Playlist

Dark Horse -Katy Perry

Pt. II (On the Run) -Jay-Z ft. Beyoncé

Wildfire -Tinashe

Warmth -Janet Jackson

Fire Meet Gasoline -Sia

Spotless Mind -Jhené Aiko

(Lights Out) Dark Again -Gold Fields

Fool in Love -Rihanna

Love the Way You Lie (Part II) -Rihanna ft. Eminem

Sword in Mouth, Fire Eyes -Norma Jean

The Heart Wants What it Wants -Selena Gomez

Can't Deny My Love -Brandon Flowers


End file.
